Unlikely couple
by Demino
Summary: Ryouga Shampoo pairing. No new curses or SI's in this one. Yes, I am really working on this story again.
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: Ryouga/Shampoo pairing.  

[Sign] 

(Thoughts) 

*SOUNDS* 

++++++++++Flashback++++++++++   
Chinese  
  


=============================

Unlikely Couple

=============================

The outskirts of Nerima slowly woke as the sun rose in the horizon, turning it slowly to the color of pink and finally bright blue. Inside a simple two-story house in a quiet street, a black and white female dog slowly lifted her head and whined as the sunlight woke her up. Tongue falling freely from the mouth, the dog stood up and slowly pattered upstairs looking for her master.

Walking down the simple walkway on the upper floor, it passed a door with a simple clay plate with the names Ayami-Kiba on it. Across from the door was the broom closet as the clay plate on it said. Next to the first room was the Bathroom. The dog stopped and looked at the slightly open door across from the bathroom before pushing the door open and looking in.   

Patting in, she scanned the room before finding her master sleeping in a chair next to the single bed in the room. Walking over to him, she pushed her muzzle into his hand and slowly licked the inside of it. Moaning slowly, the boy rolled over in the chair and grumbled as he failed to get away from the cold nose and wet tongue. 

*************

Ryouga Hibiki, also know as the eternally lost boy grumbled as he awoke from sleep, it didn't help that the armrest of the chair was trying to replace his ribs. Moving back into a more comfortable position he looked around the room with half open eyes. Yep, it was his room back at the house; there was all the stuff he had brought back from his trips.

Looking down at the warm and furry something rubbing against his hand he started into the warm eyes of his best friend "Shirokuro?" Slipping out off the chair Ryouga kneeled down next to the chair and hugged the dog tightly "It good to see you again girl" Getting a happy woof in return Ryouga eased his hold on the dog and turned to look at the bed "We better let her sleep a little longer." Pulling the blanket up on the sleeping form in the bed Ryouga slowly turned around and followed Shirokuro as she left the room "What do you say to some rice and miso soup for breakfast?" 

*************

It was much later that the sunlight finally crawled up to shine in through the window in the room. Slowly the bright light crept across the wall before reaching the single bed inside of the room. Finally it reached the head of the young Chinese girl lying under the plain white blanket. Purple hair framed the relaxed face of a girl with a small tendril of drool running out of the corner of the mouth. A small sound of protest came from the girl as the sun reached her eyes and prevented her from sleeping anymore.

Shampoos groaned in pain as she cracked open her left eye. Her entire head felt like someone had slammed her with mallet-sama all night. Not to mention she had a really foul taste in her mouth, like she had been eating violent girl's cooking. Rolling over she sat up in the bed and wiped away the drool from her mouth.

Blurry eyes scanned the room slowly as she yawned. Swinging her legs out from under the bed she felt her body protest against it. Unsteadily she stood up and placing a hand against the wall she took a quick look around the room. Small flags and tons of little souvenirs lined the walls and made the room look more like a shop then a bedroom. A simple TV was stuffed in between the Souvenirs. Taking a few steps forward without holding on to the wall she neared the only door in the room that she could see. Before she could even reach it she could feel the contents of her stomach rising up through her thruoth

Without giving a damn about where she was at the time, she slammed open the door and rushed out into a hallway with 4 doors. Holding a hand to her mouth she finally focused on the door with the Japanese sign for bathroom on it. Bolting in through the door she slammed open the toilet and…

"BLAGHH" 

…Emptied her stomach of all contents. When she had finished she leaned on the wall in order to let her stomach settled down. When her stomach had finally settled down enough she stood up and flushed the contents of the toilet out. Avoiding the mirror and wanting to return to the bed to sleep some more she stumbled out into the hallway again. "Shampoo no feel so good" It was around then that Shampoo cracked open her eye again and took a good look around the hallway "Aiyaaa Where is Shampoo!!" Shampoo winched at the pain shooting through her head "Shampoo, stop yelling now"

*************

Downstairs Ryouga looked up at the sound coming from the bathroom and shook his head "hmm… Guess she finally woke up" Looking down he refocused on preparing the rice and miso soup. Turning away from the warming pots of water at the sound of someone moving across the floor he looked down on the floor and smiled "You hungry too girl? Well, we can't eat until our guest comes down" Lifting his head at a loud yell upstairs, he shook his head again before looking back down "Why don't you go and get her so we can eat" Barking in relay Shirokuro padded out of the room and up the stairs. Turning back Around Ryouga looked at the water and growled, as it still hadn't started to boil yet. 

*************

Shampoo looked around the hallway with wide, open eyes as she moved to pull out her trusted bonboris from weapon space. The feeling she would get from just holding her weapon would help to calm her down. The sound of something moving up the stairs to the right made her tense. Whoever had brought her here would be deeply sorry. Hiding inside the door to the bathroom she listen concentrated as the whoever it was moved closer and closer before stopping outside the door "Hiyaaaaaaaa" Shampoo yelled and winced at the same time as she spun out off the door and hit absolutely nothing with her bonbori.   

"Woof?"

Shampoo blinked at the sound before she looked down. Standing outside the door stood the strangest dog Shampoo had ever seen in her life. One side of it was completely white, while the other was black. Sniffing her hand the dog barked and bit into the sleeve of her Chinese silk shirt and pulled at it. 

Shampoo pulled back and felt a vain pop somewhere as her stress level rose again Stop that, let go of my sleeve!! Her face going deep red as the dog continued to pull on her sleeve told of her anger, none off them noticed the noise they were making.

"Shirokuro, stop it" 

"What's going on" Both dog and girl turned to look at the person who had wandered up the stairs. In one hand he held a cooking spoon, in the other a yellow-black cord. A similar colored bandanna was tied around his forehead to keep up the hair. What stood out the most however, was the hello kitty apron.

"Lost boy?" Shampoo's face had a complete look of confusion as she pointed her free hands index finger at him. Her mouth opening and closing like a gold fish's.

"Whine…" Shirokuro looked sad, complete with large puppy dog eyes as she still held Shampoo's sleeve in a death grip, Tail whooshing back and fourth at the same time. 

"What?" Ryouga mumbled as he looked back and fourth at them. "What is it?" 

Shampoo sat quietly at the small dinner table resting her head on her arms as she suffered the dreaded hangover. In front of her on the table stood a glass of green tea. It smelled good, but right now, her stomach wanted nothing to do with it. From beyond an open door came the sound of dog paws moving across the floor, Sounding like a herd of stampeding elephants to Shampoo. The smell of miso soup and rice mixed in with the smell of the tea made her stomach even more upset.

"Shampoo?"   

Looking up from the safety of her arms, her blurry eyes locked onto Ryouga as he stood in the door opening Yes? Shampoo didn't even notice that she had lapsed back into Chinese as she answered Ryouga. 

Ryouga shook his head and looked at the girl "Think you're up to eating something?" Ryouga walked completely over to the table and sat down to look at her "Look if you don't want anything, that's fine with me. But you should really drink your tea"

Why should I do that? Shampoo grumbled at the lost boy in Chinese as her head fell back down on her arms, somehow she was hoping that this was all just a long nightmare, and that she would wake up in her bed any minute now.

Ryouga reached over and brushed away a few of her dirty bangs "You body needs fluid to replace what you have lost" Looking at the cup he moved it away "Maybe you would rather have some water instead?" 

Nodding Shampoo closed her eyes and laid it back down again and closed her eyes and simply relaxed. A Minute later her eyes snapped open again as something was pushed towards her. Opening her eyes, she looked at the glass of water. Ryouga sat on the other side of the table holding two small bowls and stared at her and then at the glass of water. Lifting it, Shampoo moved it up to her mouth and slowly poured some into it. It wasn't until she felt the water run over her tongue that she realized just how dry it really was. Gulping down the water in one go, she pulled the glass away and looked across the table at Ryouga "More?"

Taking the glass from her, Ryouga wandered after Shirokuro out into the kitchen, the sound of running water was heard for a little while before Ryouga returned. Putting the cup back down, he also sat a glass pail filled with more water down "Are you feeling up to eating something?"

Crossing her arms Shampoo snorted "Shampoo no need your… *growl* … well maybe just a little" Ryouga grinned slightly at the look on shampoo's face as her stomach protested against her "Pig-boy no smirk at Shampoo" 

Putting down the tray on the small table he looked back up her "Ryouga, my name is Ryouga"

Shampoo rasp berried him as he stared up at her "Shampoo call you what ever Shampoo want" At the responding growl coming from Ryouga as he stuffed some rice into his mouth, Shampoo grinned before filling her own bowl as she sat down at the table.

TBC.

An: All right people, I added more stuff to this chapter just like you wanted. The same goes for Chapter 2-4. Chapter 5 should be done by the end of the week.

Dak.   


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: And we're back, now with some answers. I think.  

[Sign] 

(Thoughts) 

*SOUNDS* 

++++++++++Flashback++++++++++   
Chinese  
  


=============================

Unlikely Couple 

Part II

=============================

Putting down her chopsticks, Shampoo grimaced as she once again felt the 200 panda's dancing around inside her head as clearly as she when woke up. Along with that, the food she had eaten really didn't want to stay in her stomach "Shampoo need go bathroom" Bolting from the Table, the Amazon girl raced out into the entrance and up the stairs.

Ryouga looked up from eating his rice as Shampoo ran out the room and up the stairs "Am I really that bad a cook?" from upstairs came the sound of a door slamming. Setting down his bowl, Ryouga shook his head "Guess break fest is over for now. I better clean the dishes"

Shirokuro, the family dog chose that moment to wander into the room. Tail wagging from side to side she looked at the young man sitting at the end of table playing with a half full bowl of rice "Woof" Putting her front paws up on the table she looked up at her master with big eyes.

Ryouga looked down at his dog and smiled gently "Well, at least you like my food" Shirokuro lifted her head from the bowl she had been sniffing and barked. Pushing his bowl forward Ryouga lowered his onto the table and stared at Shirokuro as she cleaned out the remaining rice in a second. Sighing Ryouga pattered her and stood up "Can you lead me to Shampoo?"

"Woof" Holding on to Shirokuro's collar, Ryouga followed after the dog as it went upstairs and into the bathroom. Knocking on the door, he waited for someone to say something. Getting no answer, he pushed the door open and looked into the room.

Shampoo looked up from her place on the floor, a slight green color filled her face as moaned "Shampoo no feel so good" Holding a hand over her mount she chocked back a sob and level a look at Ryouga somehow trying to make it up to being his fault "Shampoo no need help"

Kneeling down in front of her Ryouga put his hand on her for-head "Hmm, You are a bit warm. Properly just a mild fever" Moving his hand away he looked into her eyes and hummed "Eyes are bit dilated and your breathing is a little off."   

Eyes flashing with anger, Shampoo knocked his hand away "Shampoo Amazon, Amazon no get sick so easy" Humping, she turned her head and stared at the wall across from her, tracing the tile work and the edge of the furo. 

Looking a little hurt, Ryouga drew back and looked at her "Fine be that way" Standing up, Ryouga actually managed to get out of the right door in the first try, the hurt clear in his voice. Closing it behind him. He used the good old-fashioned Hibiki method and looked at the nameplates on the doors. Then he followed the painted line on the wall leading towards his room. It also helped to have his name written over it every few steps along with an arrow pointing to his room.

Sitting on the floor Shampoo looked at the two-colored dog, staring right back at her "You look weird, Shampoo never seen dog like you before" petting the dog as she sat against the wall felt strangely refreshing. She could all the stress leaving her as her eyes closed. Slowly she relaxed and ignored the aches shooting through her. It really was relaxing to just sit her, she could would just a little and she go back to the… Slowly her train of thoughts ended as she drifted off.

"Woof!" Shampoo snapped her eyes open and moved her arms to protect herself from whatever dared to wake her up. Slowly a great tear form in her eye as tired muscles and the body's demand for rest returned with a vengeance.

Moving a little away from the wall several muscles decided to protest and went into a cramp, stiffing a yelp from the sudden pain shooting through, Shampoo chose to close her eyes until the pain went away. As it stopped, she opened her eyes and looked down at the dog laying at the floor looking up at her. "Strange lost boy even has dog. Must be lonely, just like Shampoo" She closed her eyes at the feeling off hurt she had felt when she had read the letter, the way her great grandmother had looked at her. The feeling of utter…

"Shirokuro?" Ryouga's voice came from outside the door. Shampoo looked up happy for the distraction as the dog opened the door and barked down the hallway at the lost boy. A second later Ryouga walked in holding two towels "here, you might as well take a bath"

Taking the towels Shampoo blinked as Ryouga left the room "I'll put out some of my cousins clothes for you to wear, you look to be about the same size" The door closed behind him and the dog stared after him as he left, the sound of hurt was gone from his voice and replaced by a cold edge unsettled Shampoo and she blinked her eyes. Ten the anger of someone seeing her like this returned.

"Shampoo's clothes fine!" Shampoo snorted as she dumped the towels on the edge of the furo. Looking at the door, she stomped over and locked it. Slowly she slid down the wooden frame until she sat on the floor and leaned on it, her purple hair covering her face and confusion she was having "Why he so helpful? I never care for him, He just way to get violent girl away from Arien" Pulling off the normal pink Chinese shirt she normally wore Shampoo grimaced at the sight of the dirt and grime smeared over it "What Shampoo do last night?"  

***************

Following the lines on the wall down the hallway, he stopped outside the guestroom "You go away for few months and when you come back, everything's changed, somehow Ranma this is all your fault" Shrugging at his line of thoughts he dismissed it. After all, he was used to everything changing around, one of the problems you faced when you could get lost in room with just one door an no guide lines, Ryouga opened the door and stepped into the room and looked around, a thick layer of dust covered everything inside it "Guess no ones been here in awhile, better clean it up before someone drops by" 

A little bit of searching in the closet and Ryouga came up with a pair of black pants and a pink hello kitty T-shirt that looked like it would fit Shampoo "Well, that will have to do for now" Following the lines back to the bathroom, through the kitchen, the living room and isle five at a supermarket. Ryouga knocked on the door, wondering just how the heck he had managed to pick up the latest issue of New York Times by going trough his house "I brought some clothes for you" Putting them on the dresser outside the door Ryouga turned to leave "If you need anything I'm downstairs" Waiting a bit for an answer that didn't come, Ryouga shrugged before he left.

Inside the bathroom Shampoo looked up from the furo and stared at the door with a puzzled look on her face as she scratched Shirokuro behind the ears "Why you help Shampoo?" Turning around again she ducked her under the water and began to work on removing some of the knots in her hair. On the floor Shirokuro skipped away from the stray water falling over the edge of the furo.

****************

Stepping out of the door, dressed in the clothes Ryouga had left for her. She ran the brush she found inside the bathroom cabinet through her hair and grumbled as she found another knot in it. Shirokuro rushed past her and vanished downstairs, walking down the stairs, she dimly noted that the pills she had taken earlier was working and that her headache was fading. Passing a single glass door leading out into the garden, she found Ryouga sitting on the porch petting Shirokuro and reading a newspaper. Slowly walking out off the door she looked at the sight and wondered if this was the same angry boy she had met so long ago, it couldn't be. First off, he was smiling, second he wasn't looking like something the cat dragged in, Shampoo winced at the choice of words. She really had to find some better metaphors. Stepping out the door, she quietly walked up behind the Kodak moment sitting on the porch "Shampoo have question for lost boy"

Startled at the sound, Ryouga looked back at the house. Standing in the doorway was Shampoo, dressed in the clothes he had left. Looking at her face he noted the uncertainty in her eyes "Yes?" Putting away the paper and turning more around he waited for the question with a strange look in his eyes.

Shampoo looked at him while hiding her hands behind her back,  "Why did you help Shampoo? We no friends, so why you help?" Slowly her hands clenched as she waited for the answer. 

Ryouga regarded her for a few seconds "Why shouldn't I help you?" A look of confusion settled in his eyes as he regarded her "It's normal to help other when they need it" beside he did think off her as a friend, at least she was a bit more friendly then some of the people he had met at times when he traveled.

Shampoo looked down and let her damp purple hair cover her face "Is not allowed to help outcast" Briefly she could see the face of the Amazon messenger that had showed up with the letter from the elder council, the letter which had destroyed her future. She had had that glint in her eyes, the same glint she had had herself when she had beaten anyone of her village or when she had improved in her training. Maybe she shouldn't have been so arrogant back in her village. It had been a bit lonely growing up, it didn't help to have someone stalk your every move and attack everybody who dared to talk with her. 

"Outcast?" Ryouga blinked in confusion at the word then he looked at her "What do you mean outcast?" Ryouga gave her, his complete attention and dropped his newspaper. Somehow, he could feel that what this was about, it was very important.

Shampoo sat down cross-legged and hid her face "Shampoo fail in killing female Ranma, then Shampoo fail in marrying male Ranma" Shampoo clenched her fists hard enough to draw blood "Council say Shampoo no fit to be Amazon anymore" Someone looking at her would have noticed how white her hands were from clenching them.

To bad Ryouga is not of them. sighed and stood up "They threw you out? For something so stupid?" As he blurted out the words a mini Ryouga appeared over his head, screaming and banging him with a mini umbrella "Um I didn't mean it like that. I…I…"

Shampoo blushed in shame at having actually allowed anyone to see her like that; an Amazon never broke down in front of a male and especially in front of an outsider male. Slowly a plan formed in the back of her head, a plan that would give her an honorable death at least "Shampoo follow Amazon law. Amazon's have great pride, kiss of marriage is not stupid!!" The look in her eyes held tales of never ending pain to the one who got in her way.

Ryouga shook his head "So you decided to get drunk because of that?"

"Lost boy have a problem with it?" Shampoo growled as she started to pull out her trusted weapons. No one told her what to do, well unless it was her Great Grandmother or an elder of course. No one got in the way of her, when she had set her mind to something and if she had wanted to get drunk, then she would have gotten drunk.

Ryouga looked at her calmly "No, I tired to drown my sorrows once. I wasn't so popular when I woke up" Ryouga thought of the smoldering wreck the ultimate Shishi Houkoudan had reduced the bar to and the following run through the desert with a bunch of angry men in jeeps waving around guns "Besides, drinking is not the answer"

"It make Shampoo forget she failure to village" Now glowing a deep red color she pulled out her bonboris "Shampoo want forget, forget she ever met Ranma, forget she ever come to Nerima"

Ryouga backed up at the sight of a very enraged girl ranting. Plus those weapons looked like they could hurt if they hit "Maybe we should just…" Ryouga dropped the sentence as the glowing girl screamed loudly in Chinese and slowly backed up "Uh Shampoo…"

"Shampoo no care. Shampoo fight till death" Turning to the only target nearby with murder in her eyes. Shampoo felt the rush that came from fighting, she was one mean, lean fighting machine and only death would stop her from reducing her target to a bloody pulp on the ground.

Ryouga gulped as Shampoo stormed right at him. Her chi crackling around her like a miniature thunderstorm and from the look of it, he was dead if he didn't do something and very fast "Oh smeg!!" Repeating a very good word he had heard after stumbling into a british TV studio, Ryouga did the one thing he could think off. He ran away. 

Tbc: Ryouga VS Shampoo.  

An: Well how's that for a cliffhanger. Yes chapter 2 has been rewritten. Well at least now Shampoo can get rid of her pent up frustration. And yes Ryouga uses the word smeg from Red Dwarf. I happen to like Red Dwarf.

Dak.


	3. chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: Ryouga VS Shampoo. Place your bets here.    

[Sign] 

(Thoughts) 

*SOUNDS* 

++++++++++Flashback++++++++++   
Chinese  
  


=============================

Unlikely Couple 

Part III

=============================

It was a beautiful day in other Nerima, the birds were signing and everything seemed calm. This was one of those areas of Nerima that wasn't a center for weirdness everyday. One where people would still stare when something strange happened. Of course the residents of this part of Nerima had heard of the weirdness that happed in the other end of the city part. But that didn't concern them; the weirdest thing around here was the Hibiki family. But you could get used to the odd person walking out off you closet or bathroom at all times of the day. Maybe it was therefore that not many of them were prepared for the sight of a solid brick wall blowing up as a boy stormed right through it, even less prepared for a girl that screamed murder in Chinese following him. 

A white and black Dog popped up in the hole left in the wall and barked as the dust cloud formed by the fighting teens moved further down the street. Some, Shirokuro had the feeling that she would be seeing a lot of stuff like that in the future. No matter where A Hibiki went, something strange always happens. She knew, when her master had been young and she had to follow him around, they had run into a one more insane and unlike thing after another.  

*******************

Ryouga cursed loudly as he bolted down the street. Maybe he shouldn't have run through the wall around his parent's house, maybe he should have let Shampoo cool down before questioning her *WHAM* Maybe he should pay attention to the rampaging girl wielding the weapons. All these thoughts went through his head as another wall crumbled from Shampoo's attack.

"Shampoo, stop it!!" 

Shampoo ignored Ryouga as he yelled at her and made another attempt to pound his head into the pavement. Of course she missed, as the lost boy turned a sharp left and smashed through another wall "Lost boy fight Shampoo or else!!"

Ryouga gulped at the heavy layer of death those words were wrapped in. Turning around, Ryouga blocked a few strikes and fired off another cures at the lack of his umbrella "Look, can we talk about it?"

Snarling the purple haired girl jumped back and threw her bonboris aside "No talk, fight or die" Ryouga gulped as Shampoo pulled out a sword from nowhere, a very large sword.

Taking a step back he looked around the backyard they were in for a weapon, anything that could be used to block a sword. The only thing he could see was an old grill, a garden hose and a Ladder. The garden hose was completely out of the question. P-chan wouldn't stand a chance against Shampoo's cat form when she was that angry. Pulling the ladder in front of him Ryouga was rewarded with nothing as the sword reduced it to little chunks. The grill proved more effective as the angry Amazon had to duck to avoid getting hit by it, which gave him some time to put some more distance between him and the angry girl.

Shampoo blinked as Ryouga once again ran away. Swinging the sword behind Ryouga's back and cursing Shampoo scowled. He was supposed to fight her and give her an honorable death. Not run away. Didn't he realize that when an Amazon challenged you? You either fight or die?

In the other end of Nerima, Cologne sat tapping her staff at the hard metal of the counter in the cat café. The lights were turned off and the door closed. It had been ever since the messenger of the elders had showed up. How she had hoped that Shampoo wouldn't have done something stupid. She may have been cast out of the Tribe. But so had Cologne when she was younger and, she had still made it back into the Tribe by proving herself worthy of being an Amazon. All Shampoo had to do was prove herself worthy somehow.

Mousse had been grinning like an insane all the time. Another way Shampoo could become an Amazon again was to marry into the Tribe, and Mousse was the only male Amazon in the neighborhood. All he had to do was find her and tell her about it.

For Mousse and Cologne there was only one problem. Shampoo had gone missing right after the symbol of the outcast had been handed over to her. 

Mousse put the last of his weapons into his robe and opened the window. Looking out into the sunny day he jumped out and hit the ground running. He would find Shampoo and tell her the good news then they would marry and return to the Amazon village as wife and husband.

Cologne sighed before she jumped on her staff and pogoed out off the door. She would find her Great Granddaughter before she did something stupid. The Amazon law was harsh and becoming an outcast was a shame worse then death. But she would be damned if she was just going to let her granddaughter suffer. She would help, her even if it meant losing her status as an elder.

****************

Ryouga took the chance and looked over his shoulder and spotted Shampoo running after him. They had managed to cross almost half of Nerima and she still hadn't cooled off "Shampoo, would you please stop and listen" 

"Lost boy shut up and fight Shampoo!" Shampoo was growling, he was supposed to fight her, not run away like this. If she didn't get to fight soon, he would end up running away from her and her muscles still didn't feel like they were in 100% operation condition. 

Growing impatient, Ryouga ducked to the left and ran through another garden wall. As the chunks of concrete flew through the air Ryouga pulled off one of his bandannas "I didn't wanna fight you Shampoo, but you give me no choice" 

*BUZZ* Shampoo blinked as something yellow whizzed past her *CLANG* followed by a clanging sound. Slowly she looked down at her hand to see only the hilt of the sword and a small potion of the blade. The rest lay on the ground "You broke Shampoo's sword!!" Picking up the blade Shampoo growled and stared at Ryouga "That family hair loom, you no get away with braking" 

Ryouga held his head as he felt a migraine forming "Look will you forget about the sword" Shampoo cracked her knuckles and shook her head. She had finally cornered him, now all she had to do was to get him angry enough to forget that he was fighting her instead of Ranma. Now how was it her Arien had always gotten the lost boy angry "Stupid Pig boy fight back or Shampoo tell violent Gorilla girl who Pig boy turn into."

The day dirked as Ryouga stumbled back under the insult. (I won't fight her, I won't fight her, dammit I want to break something) Ryouga closed his eyes and counted to ten, He made it as far as 3 before he roared in anger and punched his fist into the pavement. Sinking his hand into the hard surface and through it. "I WON*T FIGHT YOU NO MATER WHAT YOU SAY OR DO!!" 

Shampoo felt slightly nervous as she saw the rather large hole that had formed from the punch and that green aura flicking into existence around lost boy was also very disturbing, maybe she should have found another way to have the honorable death she wanted, getting hit by someone that could crumble a Toyota with a simple punch was a very painful death and the chance of anyone knowing it was. "You insult Shampoo!!" Her voice sound a little to high and the

"When did I do that?!" Ryouga yelled back as he stepped towards Shampoo "I just wanted to talk with you!" The green glow increased around him for every step he took towards her "You think it was easy, I spent two hours running through the city before Shirokuro found me and led me to my home. I looked after you when I could have just left you" Ryouga eyes and voice had gained on a maniac edge.

Shampoo growled and held out a bonbori she had pulled out from pocket space "You say Shampoo lie?"

Ryouga nearly cried in frustration "what is your problem. I only asked you a question and you try to kill me" Aura growing even stronger Ryouga glared at the Amazon "if you didn't want to answer it, all you had to do was say so" Aura dying out, Ryouga took a step back "If you don't want any help, then fine by me. I'm going home"

Shampoo still held her weapon as Ryouga turned around and walked away "Where you going?" This guy was unbelievable, one moment he looked like a wandering entity from the hell and next he was just leaving. Damn it, she would not be cheated out of her honorable death by anyone. 

Ryouga stopped and half turned to face her "As I said, I'm going home"

Shampoo lowered her weapon "Why you no fight Shampoo?" Her voice sounded desperate and the way she looked at him, said that she was losing faith in what she was doing.

Ryouga looked at her before he spoke in a calm voice "I can't, my honor tells me not to fight girls" 

Dropping her weapons Shampoo fell to her knees and covered her eye before sopping loudly and painfully "You think Shampoo worthless just like rest of Tribe" The Amazon part of Shampoo was screaming loudly at this display of weakness, while her other part, the lonely and hurt and mostly forgotten part of her wanted to do something, anything to get rid of the doubt, fear and loneliness. 

Looking at the crying girl, Ryouga was at a loss as to what he should do. Here was a girl that had tried to kill him less then a minute ago and now she was crying. Damn his infernal protective nature. Ryouga walked back to the crying girl and sat down. Just how did one comfort someone that was crying in the first place?

Shampoo was still crying when she felt her arms being pulled away. Something soft was pressed into her right hand. Slowly she looked at it, "Ryouga?" Shampoo mumbled as she traced her finger along the yellow–black pattern off the Bandannas he normally wore. Looking up she saw Ryouga sitting on the ground and looking at her, his black hair falling down and halfway covering his eyes now that he was no longer wearing the bandanna "Shampoo…Sorry" It was true, he had tried to help her and she had only yelled at him. Slowly the part of Shampoo longing for someone, anyone to drive away her loneliness took over. 

Ryouga blinked as he suddenly held a crying girl in his arms. Totally unprepared Ryouga just held her while she cried against his shirt. Slowly he watched as his hand moved up and stroked her on the head, while he was making shooting sounds. It wasn't long before Shampoo stopped crying and fell into a light sleep. Gulping Ryouga just sat there with a warm female body pressed against his. He had never been this close to a girl before, well at least not as a human and her chest pressed against his every time she breathed. Ryouga whimpered before his head snapped back and a small spray of blood erupted from it.   

Shampoo blinked her eyes as she felt her warm pillow disappearing. Slowly she moved her head around before she spotted Ryouga on the ground under her. Blushing a deep crimson she slowly moved back. Slightly worried she spotted the blood under Ryouga's nose  "Silly Ryouga" Shampoo held Ryouga in her arms as she started to follow the trail of destruction back to the Hibiki house.   

Standing on a rooftop Mousse gritted his teeth as he watched Shampoo carry Ryouga so gently "Shampoo's mine Hibiki, no one will come between Shampoo and me. No one" A knife glinted in the light of the sun as the longhaired man followed after them. 

On another roof top an old lady shook her head and pogoed after the three young ones "Kids these days, and just how id that Ryouga boy get involved in all this" Her gaze shifted to see Mousse ready a knife to toss into the sleeping Ryouga held in Shampoo's arms "Oh no Mister part time. We'll have none of that, thank you" Quickly crossing the over to the other roof, she moved up behind Mousse "Hello Mr. Part time job. Is there a reason you're aiming that knife towards my Great Granddaughter?" 

Mousse spun around and tossed the knife towards the one who had spoken "Stay out of this" Growling as Cologne deflected the knife up into the air and caught it on the way down "Old Ghoul, I won't leave my darling shampoo in the hands of that pig boy!" Eyes narrowed in anger, Mousse pulled out another knife and turned to aim at Ryouga. 

Cologne lifted her stick and twirled it in the air "Mousse, what you do is up to your self, but as long as you put Shampoo is in danger, I won't allow it. Do you understand?" The cold look in her eyes told of the truth in her words. 

Staring at the fading figures of Ryouga and Shampoo, Mousse growled and dropped the knife onto the roof "Fine old Ghoul, you win. I can't take you down. But I'll be damned if you're going to stop me for ever" Mousse stepped back and made a back flip over the edge off the roof and landed on the sidewalk calmly "No one will stop me. Shampoo will be mine"

Tbc.    

An: Ha, how do you people like that? No winner in the fight at all. I bet no one saw that one coming. I did intend for Ryouga to win but then I changed my mind. Well now Mousse is entering the scene, things can really start.

As for the way Shampoo is acting. Think about it, She had been cast out told she is not fit to be an Amazon. How would you feel if everyone you know just told you didn't fit in with him or her anymore?

Well. Another chapter fixed.

Dak.


	4. chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma 1/2.

Summary: Mousse Snaps.

[Sign]

(Thoughts)

*SOUNDS*

++++++++++Flashback++++++++++

Chinese

Warning: Mousse will be OOC in this chapter.

=============================

Unlikely Couple

Part IV

=============================

It was the night before tomorrow and all throughout the Hibiki home, not a soul stirred.  Except for the lunatic, wielding more weapons then a small nation, sneaking down the corridor looking for his intended victim.

Mousse smirked as he felt the presence of his trusted weapons. Tonight, he would win his Shampoo. The lost boy would never have her. Not as long as he lived. He had waited for her for so long, ever since the day he first saw her in the Amazon village. He had known that she was the one for him; no one else would ever come close to her, not as long as he lived.

Creeping up the stairwell, Mousse looked around the corner at the top. Stepping out into the hallway, he looked from one door to the next. Going over the plan in his mind, he had never wanted to kill the lost boy; he was so caught up with the Tendo girl that he didn't think of other girls. But now, he seemed to be growing closer to Shampoo, they didn't love one another, but he still didn't want to take the risk of them falling in love. It had been bad enough with Saotome.

He frowned as he lifted a hand and reached for the door on his left. Stopping, he turned and looked at the door behind him. It could also be that one… turning to it, he regarded it in the dark hallway. Shrugging lightly, Mousse smirked again; he could always try it later. If Hibiki weren't behind the first door, he could just try the next.

Smirking, Mousse slipped open the first door pulled back his hand to throw out his knives. Nothing but darkness greeted him from inside it. Then, a large shadow moved from inside. Looking closer, he came face to face with a floor mop as it and the rest of the stuff in the closet rushed out to meet with him.

A bucket landed on top of his head as a bottle of brown soap fell open and ran down the front of his white robe. Mousse could live with that, it was the floor mop that had slammed straight into his face that angered him. No doubt this was all some kind of trap put up by that lousy pig. No matter, he would have his revenge for this and for Hibiki trying to steal his Shampoo. Throwing the bucket, the empty bottle of brown soap and the shattered remains of the mop back into the closet, Mousse grumbled and resumed his hunt for Ryouga.

The second door led into the bathroom. Quickly looking around, Ryouga spotted Shampoo's clothes lying in the hamper next to the door. Picking up the dirty shirt, Mousse growled. He could see it all. That pig had found his beloved in a weak state, trying to bed her. She had resisted his advances and she had lost to him and was too scared to resist him. Conveniently, Mousse forgot the fact that Ryouga has passed out from simply holding Shampoo earlier and that Shampoo had brought him back.

Inside the third door, Mousse was rewarded with the sight of Ryouga sleeping calmly on a bed. A small basin of water was placed on a table next to the bed. A simple yellow blanket was laid over him, and rose with each breath he took. His face, normally locked in depression and anger, was clam and a faint smile crept over it. Mousse found it hard to match the Ryouga sleeping in the bed with the one he had met so often.

Next to the bed, Shampoo sat in a wooden chair, her chest raised gently and steadily as she breathed. Her face was set in state of tranquility as she slept. From the looks of it, she had been taking care of Ryouga. Simmering with anger, Mousse growled softly and pulled out a sword from his vast arsenal. Raising it above his head he aimed it at Ryouga's throat. It would be over in a second and then Shampoo would be his.

"You no hurt Ryouga!"

Mousse blinked as Shampoo's foot shot up from the floor and kicked his weapon away "Sham… Shampoo?" How, why did she defend the lost boy, didn't she see that he was trying to save her? That he was the only one for her?

Shampoo crossed her arms and glared at Mousse "What you do here?" Her voice had a sharp edge as she shifted to protect Ryouga from any attacks. Her code demanded it, he had helped her and now, she owed him a debt. Holding a hand to her nose, she looked closer at him "Why you smell like that?"

Mousse looked at her rather blankly then he ran a hand through the brown soap smeared over his clothes "Uh, a small accident" Kneeling, he picked up his sword and looked at her with a soft expression "I came to save you from Ryouga" Stepping closer to the bed, Mousse pleaded with her.

"Shampoo no need rescuing" Pointing at Mousse she pulled out a bonbori and stepped completely up to the front of the bed "Shampoo protect Ryouga, he help Shampoo. Shampoo in debt to him" Stepping forward, she pushed Mousse back "Why you here?" Her voice was cold and the tome told that he didn't answer her at once she would attack him.

"Amazon law" Mousse stated, "Marry me and you'll become a member of the Amazons again" Mousse smiled sweetly, as he pulled out some roses from his vast sleeves.

Shampoo blinked before she laughed dryly. I would rather live without honor, or Amazon sisters then marry you, Muo Shu! Her eyes told the truth of her words.

Mousse faulted and dropped the rose Xian Pu, you hate me that much? Slowly Mousse stepped back. I would do anything for you, anything. Why won't you see that I'm better then Ranma and all the others? Mousse had taken the look of a doomed man as he ranted.

Shampoo shook her head. If you would just listen to me, you're my friend, nothing more! Almost pleading, Shampoo looked at him. You could never become more then a friend. Shampoo regarded Mousse with a sad look on her face.

Somewhere deep inside Mousse something snapped, and the anger, hurt and despair at being spurned, beaten and verbally abused for years came rushing up and clouded his vision red. You are mine Xian Pu. I have known this since I was six years old… Eyes narrowed, Mousse spat out the words with a venom filled voice.

Shampoo backed away at the sight of a blood red aura forming around Mousse. Muo Shu, what are you doing? She had never seen him like that. Mousse was just Mousse. Someone who followed her everywhere, never hit back no matter what she did to him. But this, he had never looked at her like that, never raised his voice at her. She was scared of him, this dark side of Mousse.

Mousse clenched his hands inside his robe. If I can't have you Xian Pu, then no one will. I'll take you to the grave with me! His sleeves moved forward and all the knives he had rushed out from inside them, and towards Shampoo. We'll be together forever in death! The weapons glinted as they left his hands and moved towards the Amazon, her face locked in a mask of disbelief as her arm lifted to protect her.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

Shampoo and Mousse froze as a blur jumped in between them. Right into the path of the knives, several sick sounds emerged as the knives hit the flesh of the body. Slowly it fell to the floor, blood running from cuts one the face and arms. Knives stuck out from body in odd places and glowed in the moonlight as they moved downwards along with the body they were stuck in.

Cologne looked up as she felt a chill run down her back. In all her 300 years she had never felt that kind of feeling, like something had just reached its breaking point. She slowly turned to look out the window of the Neko Haten. "Shampoo!" Her eyes traveled down to stare at the Amazon book of laws in her hands. "Mousse you have better not have done something stupid" jumping out the window, she grabbed the bag next to her on the way out.

Shampoo stared as Ryouga fell down onto the floor, knives sticking out of his chest, blood running from cuts and seeping into the shirt he wore and staining the carpet. Her arm dropped down and hung limply at her side. Slowly her eyes traveled to look at the one who was the cause of it.

Mousse stared down at the body and felt his blood run cold in his veins "He protected you." dropping the rest of his weapons, they dropped to the floor and settled around his feet. "He protected you." Looking up, he stared at Shampoo, the one he loved, and the one he had attacked. How could he have lost it like that?

Shampoo looked back down at Ryouga for a second, before she dropped to her knees and hugged him, trying to avoid the knives "You protect Shampoo, why?" A single tear welled up in her eye. Here was someone who had jumped in the way of an attack aimed at her and she didn't know why. She had tried to kill him, yelled at him and still he would risk his life for her, why?

Ryouga grinned as he turned to look at her from his position on the floor, "You're my friend, friends looks out for one another…" Slowly Ryouga closed his eyes.

Shampoo cradled his head in her lap. "Shampoo get help for you!" Closing her eyes, she wiped the tear from her face. Then she lifted her face to glare at Mousse, her face a mask of hate and anger.

Mousse dropped to his knees "Shampoo, you…" Somewhere inside of him, a voice screamed out at the idea that he had failed to kill his beloved. "I… I…" Words failing him, Mousse reached out his hands, wanting to hug his beloved and forget it all. Forget the pain. Forget what he had done.

"Mousse, get out!!" Shampoo screamed, as she glared at him "Shampoo no longer want anything to do with you!" Turning her face away from the half blind boy sitting in front of her, she looked back down at Ryouga.

Mousse reeled back as if he had been slapped "But we're destined…" Tears fell freely from his eyes and a feeling of loss overtook him. Crawling to his feet he took a step towards the two on the floor.

Shampoo growled as Mousse went closer to them, and flung one of the knives from the floor after him "Get out, before Shampoo kill you" Mousse scrambled back and with hurt eyes, dashed out off the door. Glaring at the empty doorway, seeing if Mousse would return, Shampoo felt whatever feelings she had for Mousse die.

A cough from the floor made her return her attention to the boy she was protecting. His face was turning a faint white, and he seemed to be breathing harder then before. "Why you keep helping Shampoo?" Her face half hidden in shadows still showed her confusion, then it became determined. Stay here Ryouga. I'll get some help. I won't let you die until I have paid back my debt to you.

"This is quite a mess" Colognes dry voice said from the doorway "Still, I should have expected something like this" Jumping over to Shampoo she looked down at Ryouga from her place on the table "Put him on the bed and put this stick in his mouth. Those knives have to be pulled out and the wounds cleaned."

TBC: Shampoo the Nurse

AN:  Unlikely couple, fixed at last. All four chapters have been redone to make more sense. At last I can concentrate on Chapter five, until that time.

Dak.


	5. chapter 5

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: Mousse Snaps.    

[Sign] 

(Thoughts) 

*SOUNDS* 

++++++++++Flashback++++++++++   
Chinese  
  


Warning: Sort off WAFF.

=============================

Unlikely Couple 

Part V

Shampoo the Nurse

=============================

Ryouga opened his eyes and blinked at the sharp light coming from the ceiling. Turning his head he spotted Shirokuro staring back at him, long tongue dangling out off her moth and a constant happy smile on her doggy face. Sitting up, he was reminded off what he had done last night, when a sharp pain shot though his body. Gently laying back down again he moved the blanket aside and took in the damage. A fine bandage was wrapped around the torso and lower abdomen.

"Well, well, you finally decided to join us"

Turning his head he spotted cologne sitting on the window still. Her wooden staff tapping the wall patiently as she waited for Ryouga to say something in return "Oba-sama?" 

Cologne lifted a eye brown at the word before she grinned "Looks like you got yourself in a bit of trouble there sonny" Pulling out a long thin pipe she lighted it and took a puff from it, blowing out a smoke ring she looked down at the lost boy "Thank you for helping my Great Granddaughter last night, you have my gratitude" Turning to look at him fully, she narrowed her eyes "But, I must say I am most surprised to learn that Shampoo is here with you"  

Ryouga blinked, before he closed his eyes. Leaning back in his bed, he sighed loudly. "It was mostly pure luck I guess. I found her two days ago drunk, in some alley" Cologne hummed as she leaned back and motioned for him to continue.

++++++++++Flashback+++++++++++ 

Ryouga grumbled loudly as he walked down the half lit street. Unlike the major parts of Tokyo there was no cars or big neon signs to light up the streets. Just the small cones of light cast by the towering lamb posts. Sometimes the darkness was by small signs blinked unsteadily to proclaim that here was an all night Sake bar or cafe. Stopping in front of such a place Ryouga briefly wondered if he should go in and ask for directions, or maybe to escape the cold night air for just a while. 

The desire to at least get some warm and maybe get something to eat won over the desire to find the Tendo Dojo. Stepping in through the door after spending a few moments to find it, he nearly went the wrong way. If he hadn't spotted the sign over his shoulder he would have walked away from it completely. 

The inside of the bar was smoke filled and filled with the sounds of people mumbling and sifting their head to see just who dared to enter their bar at that time of the night. Some of them shrugged at what they saw as a kid stumble in through the door while other took in the muscles and the way the eyes travel from side to side in order to spot any threat. 

After a while Ryouga found his way to a small table at the edge of the wall. Dropping the oversized backpack he settled in to rest for a bit. The sound of feet moving over the floor made him crack open one eye to see an elderly woman wearing a greasy uniform step up to the table. Holding up a notepad she looked at him with a sour expression "What do you want" The words were sneered out at him as she looked at the notepad. 

Ryouga opened both eyes and looked at her "Can you get anything to eat here?"

"No, this is a bar. You want something to eat; you go down the street to the all night sushi bar. Now what do you want to drink?" 

Standing back up, Ryouga picked up his backpack "Nothing" Stepping away from the table he ignored the glare the waitress shot him as he slowly made his way to the door. Opening it he felt the fresh clean night air, replace the smog filled one inside of the bar. The door clicked shot behind him, as he looked left and right, hoping to spot the sign telling him that this was the sushi restaurant.

Leaving it all up to fate Ryouga stepped out into the street and turned left hoping that somehow this would lead him to some place warm. It wasn't until he spotted the turned over trashcan that he knew he was back in the damn alleyway. Feeling his frustration raising, Ryouga stomped down the alleyway. Well he did until he stumbled over the feet sticking out from under one of the trashcans.

Ryouga looked up from where he had landed face fist into the pavement. Turning his head to see whatever it was, so he could reduce it to dust, he found himself staring at a pair of legs dressed in pink Chinese pants. Sitting back up Ryouga moved the trashcans away and looked closer at whom he had tripped over.

Dirt purple colored bangs fell down over the person's head and chest. Panicking at the though of finding a dead person, Ryouga didn't relax until he saw the chest rise gently as the person breathed in. Moving the hair away from the face Ryouga did a double check "Shampoo?"

Gently picking her up Ryouga fought back a nosebleed. Stepping back out of the alley he looked left and right hoping to spot someone he could ask for directions. Facing the same old dark street he started to run following the old Hibiki saying, "The path doesn't matter, just follow it and you'll likely find what you seek eventually. 

++++++++++End Flashback++++++++++

Ryouga smirked "Both me and Shampoo, would have been halfway to China if Shirokuro hadn't found us. Turned out I had run past my house 6 times in a row" Turning his head to stare at the elder woman, he closed his eyes again "Not wanting to take the chance of getting lost, I decided to follow Shirokuro and spend the night at my house."  

Cologne nodded before she looked at him "I'm sure that Shampoo told you about her punishment." At the dark look Ryouga gave her closed her eyes and glared back at him "Twice the council found her guilty of failing the ancient laws, the first time was punished when she was throw into the Maoniichuan at Jusenkyo." At the pale look on Ryouga's, she shook her head "Yes, you do well in fearing the powers of that place." Putting away the pipe, she jumped off the window still and pogoed across the room on her staff. "

Ryouga grumbled and looked at the wall "So, what will you do now?"

Cologne smirked again. "Nothing for now." At the angry look on Ryouga's face she held out a hand "I will look at the laws of the Amazons for a solution to this problem. Shampoo is one of the best students in our tribe in the last 60 years. I'll return and tell her when I find a way for her to become a member of the tribe again, in the meantime she can stay here with you." Opening the door, she turned her head and gave him a look of mild concern. "Be careful, Mousse will most likely try something again. I fear the boy has lost it for good" With those final words, the door closed behind the elder as she left. 

Ryouga nodded at the words and warning, and leaned back down into the bed, ready to relax some more. only to look as a purple blur jumped in through the door and sat down on the bed. "Nihao, how lost boy feeling?" Lifting up a wooden tray, she had brought with her to sit on the table next to Ryouga's bed, she turned to face him, and picked up a spoon from the hot brew of the lone bowl sitting on the tray. "Shampoo bring delicious soap for lost boy"

Ryouga glared at the nickname. It wasn't enough that he had heard all through his short time in school, did she have to throw it in his head every time they met. "I'm fine, and the name is Ryouga. Not lost boy, not bandanna boy or p-chan, got it" 

Shampoo looked at him, before grinning widely. "Okay, what umbrella boy say. Shampoo no call lost boy." Her eyes showed the laughter running through, as she struggled to avoid dropping the spoon at the glare Ryouga sent her and laugh out loud.

Ryouga groaned loudly and clenched his hands in front of him "If you say that one more time. I'll mph…" Ryouga blinked as Shampoo stuffed the spoon into his mouth while he ranted. Chocking a bit, he swallowed the soup and glared at the Amazon girl "I can use a spoon you know" 

Shampoo smiled sweetly and lifted the spoon again "Great Grandmother told Shampoo to look after umbrella boy, so Shampoo look after umbrella boy" Stuffing the spoon into his mouth again, she shot him a glare the promised him a really bad day if he didn't do what she said.

***************

Mousse sat on the quiet rooftop. Below him the people moved back and fourth like they did everyday, with no change in their life. He never understood them, granted his life back at the Amazon village had never been that big a difference from the way these spent their life. But he took a small satisfaction in knowing that he, at least wouldn't be working himself like a slave just to live for the rest of his life. A grim smiled formed as he played with a small knife. One would almost say he would do one of them a favor, by ending their pointless life. 

But that was not here or now. What he needed was a plan, something that would get Hibiki out of the way and make Shampoo his. But after what happened last night, it seemed that the only way to get what he wanted, was to use the one thing he had never wanted to use on his beloved. It was time to turn to the vast Amazon knowledge of magic. 

But the old ghoul would be on the lookout for him. So unless he was prepared to fight off an elder, which no one his age and skill level had tried to do before, he couldn't use the spells and potions from the Neko Haten. Clenching his fist, he lifted his head and glared down at the street below him with anger, those stupid and pointless people, who had forgotten most of their old ways, and the knowledge of magic. Slowly stopping his inner rant of the uselessness of these outsiders, Mousse looked down at the people. Not all of them could have forgotten the way of magic. There had to be a few who knew how to used it and who was willing to help him. All he had to do was find them, and to do that, he had to find the nearest shop dealing with ingredients used for magic. 

People cringed as the laughter erupted from the rooftop. 

****************

Ryouga grumbled as Shampoo left the room. It was the second time he had been forced fed by the young Amazon girl, it didn't help that she had to be so close to him when she did it. The last thing he wanted to do, was pass out from blood loss next to her. Biting back the pain, he slowly dug his way out of the bed and onto the floor. Staring down at himself, he grunted. At least they had let him keep his pants.

It was time to get moving, he had saved the Amazon, that was the code for martial artists, but that was also where it ended. It was nice to be taken care off, but it was just the Amazon laws at work, or Shampoo following her great grandmothers orders. Feeh, who cared about that, it was time to get moving, he still hadn't found the perfect present for his Akane-san, and it had been a long time since he had seen her beautiful face and radiant smile. Pulling on his backpack, he spent the next ten minutes trying to find the door to his own room.

The house was strangely quiet as he moved down the corridor. It wasn't that hard finding his way trough the house. After all he had the guidelines on the floor to follow. Still, just how far were this damn line anyway, he could have sworn he had followed it for at least five minutes now. Stopping to look around him, trying to spot something to tell him where in the house he was, he was greeted with the sight of the family room. Ryouga shook his head a little to clear out the shock, he breathed out deeply. He had gotten use to the sudden jump from place to place. Still it was a little nerve ending to find you had just gone from the top floor to the living room without using stairs. But now he was downstairs, now all he had to do was find the front door, how hard could that be?

It was at that time he heard the sounds coming from the backyard, keeping a close eyes on the open window it came from, he managed to find his way over to it in the first try. Slowly looking out through it. He didn't see anything at first, and then he noticed the figure moving in a set pattern of moves near the edge of the grass covering the Hibiki backyard. Shampoo stopped her movement for a short second to kick up one of her bon boris lying on the ground, then her rapid movements began again.

Flowing through a strong kata, she was totally consumed by it. Her eyes closed as she did swept through the motions, told him how used she was to doing stuff like that. Her long silk like hair whipped around with her as her feet and hands moved through the set patterns. But what really caught his eyes, were the smile on her face. Free of anger, hurt and arrogance, just pure joy at doing the art. It was completely unlike his beloved Akane-san's face when she practiced. When she practiced, it was all with anger in her eyes, a need to prove to herself that she a martial artist. He had seen Akane when she practiced the art. She had lacked the spark that the others had, the spark that drove them to constantly improve, not only when it was needed, but also when there was no need too, that was the sign of a true martial artist, to never relax, to always seek the fine path of improvement. 

He stood completely silently and watched her, for some reason he couldn't look away from her. It wasn't the first time he had done that. It had happened when he had seen her for the first time at the Tendo dojo. She was like a force of nature, unpredictable and unstoppable. After a minute, her kata drew to an end and she began to relax. Stepping back, Ryouga ducked into the house and began to look for the front door. He needed to think, to learn way his emotions was moving away from Akane-san, how he could have, even for a split second, have felt something besides love for her.

*****************

Shampoo slowly opened her eyes and looked round the garden. She had for the last few minuets of her training felt someone watching her. It hadn't been like the way back at the Neko Haten, where Mousse would stare at her with a lovesick expression that would annoy her, or the sometimes leering looks from the males living in the nearby area. She had barely felt it. Stepping towards the house she was a temporary guest in, she shook her head. 

She was far away from those people now, but it could have been Mousse she had felt, hiding somewhere nearby, spying on her. She shivered at the memory of the knives he had thrown at her. The one person she had always felt would never hurt her in anyway had tried to kill her. And then, from out of nowhere, someone she hadn't given much thought to. Had jumped in the way. Had protected her from harm. Not for love, desire, or to gain something, but because he wanted to.

She stopped walking, when she reached the door leading into the room where he was recovering from the knife wounds. Holding up a hand, she stopped just before she knocked on the door. She needed time to think, turning away from the door. She walked towards the guestroom she had moved into. She would talk with him later. Right now, she needed to think. Great Grandmother had told her, that she was looking for a way for her to become and Amazon again and then what. Would she return to the village, or still follow her heart and try to woe Ranma into becoming her husband as she had tried for more then a year now. Entering the room, her eyes swept over the bare wall and the simple bed. The lone window looked out towards the street, and there walking on it was.

Shampoo snapped to attention as she spotted the lost boy, walking down the street, his oversized backpack and umbrella gave him away with no problem. Her mind reeled through the many reason as to why he would run away. Slowly she stepped back into the room. No one ran away from an Amazon, she was still in his debt and she would be damned if she was going to let him get away like that. Grabbing the backpack her great grandmother had given her, she slipped it over her shoulders. She would follow after the lost boy, until she had paid her debt to him. Writing a quick note, she dropped it on the bed of the room. Turning to the window, she nodded, he still hadn't gotten that far away. Pushing open the window, she jumped down onto the wall surrounding the Hibiki compound and jumped onto the nearest rooftop. Trailing behind the lost boy like a shadow, she followed him into the horizon.

Tbc: Crisscrossing the land, Hibiki style. 

AN: Yes, one of my most popular fan fictions is back. I may have forgotten about this one for a while. But now I'm back to writing on it. To all you reviewed and have been waiting for this, I'm sorry for the delay. I got side tracked by the Jaded Coral story, but since I can't think of one thing to write for that fan fic, I'm returning to my first Ryouga/Shampoo story. 


	6. chapter 6

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: After the Mousse incident, Ryouga's trying to get away from everything so he can find out why he's suddenly so distracted around Shampoo. Unknown to him, Shampoo's tracking along, intent on paying back the honor debt she owes him.      

[Sign] 

(Thoughts) 

*SOUNDS* 

++++++++++Flashback++++++++++   
Chinese  
  


=============================

Unlikely Couple

Part VI

Camping out, Hibiki style

=============================

Shampoo cursed for the tenth time in an hour. She had once again lost track of the lost boy, and when dealing with someone like Ryouga, losing track of him was a major problem. Looking around the forest area she found herself in, she began to draw on years of Amazon experience in dealing with situations like these. You can't get away from me pig-boy. My honor will be cleaned of your debt. Nearly glowing with resolve, a small part of Shampoo briefly wondered why she was so intent on getting away from Ryouga. 

True he had protected her from Mousse, and even helped her when no one should even had looked at her. She was an outcast, a dishonor to her village. She found it hard to believe that she had gotten help at that time, but to get it from someone she had barely ever known was even harder to consider. Pig-boy… Err, Ryouga had always just been a pawn to her, someone to use in the conquest of Ranma, so why had he helped her? 

Shampoo stopped for a second to wipe away some sweat from her forehead, and looked around again. Where in the world was she, and how in the hell had she gotten there? She had been following Ryouga around when suddenly the city area had turned into a farming region and finally she had found herself in this forest. Now she had lost track of the one person who could get her out of here. 

Pushing a low hanging branch away, the Chinese girl continued to track through wilderness. It was almost too much for her, was this how life was to the lost boy? Lost in the middle of nowhere, no idea how he had gotten there, and much less a hint on the way out of here. If this was what Ryouga went through in all of his travels, she could understand why he hated it. 

*Snort* 

Shampoo stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, her head turned around to stare at the thing behind her. Large and covered with thick brown fur, a huge boar stared at her with its beady eyes. Turning fully around, Shampoo took in the size and weight of this thing and slowly gulped. From the looks of it, it could overpower a small car. But why was it after her? Didn't stuff like this only happen to Ryouga? 

Shampoo mumbled another curse as she stepped back. She tried to keep the boar in the center of her vision all the time, following one of the ground rules of dealing with angry animals. Across from her, the boar lowered its head and scarped up a fair sized chuck of dirt from the ground with its front hoof. Then it charged the purple haired girl with a loud whine. 

***************** 

Ryouga on the other hand was facing another more difficult problem at the time. Looking down at the ground before him, Ryouga began to wonder just who of his ancestors he should be thanking for this wonderful way of life. If he could just get a nice long talk with him or her, he wouldn't be this angry. But people do tend to get angry when they're cold, hungry, and miserable, and now he could add another thing to his list of things to hate life for. He had been able to handle it before, the loneliness, but did he have to wish for either Akane or Shampoo to be there? What was it with the purple haired girl that she took up so much of his thoughts lately? 

Sure, she was pretty, so was Akane. But why was this Amazon starting to dominate his most inner and secret thoughts, a place that had only been reserved to his first crush, Akane? And what about Akane? Wasn't she the one he endured this hell for, his only reason to go on, the only ray of light, the only hint of spring in his endless ice age? 

Stopping in his tracks, Ryouga dimly noted that he was once again on the edge of a cliff. Well he did find himself on them plenty of times, and every single time they broke down under him, but not this time. Ryouga stopped his mental journey as he saw the sun set in the distant mountain range. A life spent outside in the wild had given him a valuable insight in camping, and from the looks of it, he was in a mountain range. He mentally noted to himself that while he wasn't that high up in the mountains, the weather could still change rather fast, plus, it wasn't very safe to run around a place like this in the dark.  Ryouga began to set up camp in the same fashion that he had ever since he had been a little kid.  Dropping his backpack down onto the ground, Ryouga sat down in cross-legged position and began to pull out his camping equipment. 

***************** 

It stood completely still for a few seconds. Then, to a sound like a falling tree, the boar fell over onto its side, sending up a large cloud of dust and dirt. Standing over it, Shampoo cracked her knuckles. While the boar's attack had prevented her from finding that stupid stubborn Lost Boy's tracks, it also cost her precious time. It had helped her to get rid of some of her frustrations; unfortunately it had cost her her favorite pair of Bonboris. Picking up her backpack, after repacking the remains of her Bonboris, she once again set out to find Ryouga. 

Moving away from the battleground, Shampoo took in the surrounds. If there was one thing she had learned, it was how to follow a trail. But the lost boy, however, was putting extra pressure on those skills. A half hour of checking every tree, stone, and speck of dirt on the game trail, rewarded Shampoo with the footstep of a boy, leading into the more open parts of the forest. "Shampoo find you lost boy, no have debt forever." 

Jumping from tree to tree, Shampoo followed the more and more clearer signs of Ryouga walking through the forest; a shattered stone, a damaged tree and the rare, beaten animal lying dazed on the ground from time to time. Either the lost boy was in a bad mood, or he was thinking about Ranma or Akane. 

The fallen leaves crunched under feet as Shampoo stepped around a fallen tree. Was it even wise to go near the lost boy when he was in this kind of mood? Plus, it was getting rather dark out here, and she had no desire to go running through the forest without light. Sure, she was a martial artist, but that didn't mean she could see in the dark. Turning her eyes downward, Shampoo scanned the ground for roots or other things that snag her foot and send her for a tumble in the dirt. Looking up at last to make sure she was still walking in the right direction, Shampoo blinked. Way up there, in the distance, a lone yellow tent stood out among the rest of the forest. Well, given the darkness of the forest, the only thing she could see from her place was the part of the tent illuminated by the flickering light of a fire. Increasing her pace, Shampoo finally broke into the clearing. Landing on the ground as silently as a feather falling to the ground, and with the agility of a cat, Shampoo scanned the place. 

A single pot with hot water bubbled over a fire in the center of the clearing, and off to the side was the signs of a small practice area. But missing from it all was a certain lost boy. Dropping her backpack to the ground, Shampoo stepped closer to the tent, trying to determine if Ryouga was inside it. Pulling back on the tent opening, Shampoo blinked as she spotted the backpack casually leaned up against the side of the tent, and off to the side, rolled up, was the lost boy's sleeping bag. But still with no signs of Ryouga, Shampoo backed out of the tent and chewed on her finger. Was it really possible for the lost boy to forget where his tent was? Did he really have that rotten a sense of direction? 

As Shampoo sat down on the log next to the tent, she had a sad look on her face. She really didn't want to face the fact that maybe she had walked all the way out here into the middle of no where, only to lose every chance of ever paying him back for his help. Looking down on the ground and tracing a pattern with her foot, her thoughts wandered around in a circle, always coming back to the same two things. Should she stay with the tent, in the hopes that Ryouga would make it back, or should she try her luck, and go out on a search for the lost boy? Sitting there, lost in her thoughts, she suddenly got the feeling that someone was watching her. Turning around, she locked eyes with a certain lost boy in surprise, and by the looks of it, he was just as surprised at seeing her.

***************** 

Ryouga nearly cursed as he came close to snapping the line in his hand. Holding the bucket under the other arm, he cast a quick look down, and spotted the thick red colored thread on the ground. Rolling it up, Ryouga slowly followed it back to his camp, occasionally shooting a look down at the water in the bucket. It wouldn't do to become P-chan now, with all of his thermos empty. It would mean a long and very dangerous track down the mountainside to find a hot spring. 

Moving around a tree, Ryouga looked up and spotted the distant flicker of his campfire. It would be nice to sit down and relax, and by now, he could really use the rest. He had had a long day of thinking, and even then, the answer still didn't come to him. Picking up his pace, Ryouga walked as fast as he could without splashing himself with the cold water. It would be best if he could just curl up and forget everything. Then he thought of Akane, sweet, sweet Akane. How he longed to hold her, but couldn't, those strange feelings for Shampoo was troubling him too much and if he couldn't focus on Akane 100%, then he wasn't worthy of her love. But should he go back and sort out the problem, talk with Shampoo about it? Or should he just stay away from Nerima for a few months? The problems were sure to have solved themselves by then. Shampoo would be back to chasing Ranma, and he could try and win Akane's affection for good. Ryouga stopped as he went over that thought. Could he stay away from Akane for that long, could he really leave her in the hands of Ranma for that long? 

Taking the final step into the safe and warm feel of his camp, he nearly cried in joy at seeing his campfire, the extra large tent, and the purple haired girl sitting in front of it. A good long nights sleep would make the problems fade, and maybe he would be able to think of something to do about it in the morning. Setting down the bucket, Ryouga stretched his arms over his head and froze, Purple haired girl. Looking back down and over at his tent, he stared at Shampoo with a look of fear and surprise on his face, just in time to see her turn around and look at him. 

All thoughts stopped dead in their tracks as all of his brainpower went to work out this new problem. It was downright impossible for her to be here, she was supposed to be several kilometers away. She was supposed to be either in his house, or at the Neko Hanten. So what the hell was she doing sitting just outside his tent, and staring at him for? He couldn't handle this now, not like this. As Shampoo started to stand up, Ryouga did what he always did when faced with a situation that couldn't be handle with anger, fighting or yelling. He ran. Straight into the bucket, sending him flying forward into the dirt, transforming into P-chan as the water splashed all over him. Making a hard landing on the ground, Ryouga shook the stars from his eyes and began to struggle to get out of the wet shirt. Slowly, the shirt parted as a pair of delicate hands reached down and picked him up to face a pair of purple eyes. 

"Lost boy no run away this time." 

Shampoo stared down at the struggling black piglet with a small smirk. It would be far easier to prevent the lost boy from running when he was like this. But on the other hand, it was also harder for her to keep an eye on him. She wasn't all that keen on spending the next few hours, or days, keeping track of a small black piglet, no matter who it really was. So, in the end, there was only one real option left to her. Shampoo dropped the piglet to the ground and in one swift motion had tossed the content of the pot still over the fire at it. 

"Dammit! HOT! Hot! Hot!" Ryouga screamed when he felt the boiling hot water hit him. Jumping up, he did a quick dance as he could plainly feel each place that the skin would scald and hurt for days. Stopping his dance, Ryouga turned around with a murderous look in his eyes. He was going to kill for this, screw honor. Ryouga's anger quickly faded when he noticed the way Shampoo was looking at him, and wasn't it rather chilly out here? 

Shampoo blinked as Ryouga suddenly vanished from view. The only sound that told her where he might be was the sudden rustle of the rough fabric of the tent moving as he jumped into it. Spinning around, Shampoo faced the tent and grinned to herself. The Jusenkyo curse did have some advantages from time to time. But now was not the time for things like that. It was time for answers. It was time to find out why he kept running away from her. "Shampoo honor bound to help lost boy, Lost boy want to shame Shampoo more then Shampoo already is." 

Ryouga slowly popped his head out of the tent opening and looked at the Amazon girl with a half glare, slowly, the glare turned into depressed look as he clasped the button on his extra tunic shut. "No… But… I can't stand it; you don't owe me any favors. You don't need to repay me for anything. All I did was help a friend." Ryouga ranted as he stepped out of the tent carrying his sleeping bag in one arm and an extra blanket in the other. "There, I have freed you from you honor bond." 

Shampoo snorted and stood up as she grabbed the blanket and sleeping bag from him. "Shampoo follows Amazon law, not your codes." Setting the sleeping bag and blanket aside on the ground, she pulled out a thin, leather bound book and opened it to the page she wanted and handed it over to the puzzled Ryouga. 

Running a finger down the characters on the page, Ryouga slowly run over what he knew of the Japanese-Chinese difference in writing and language that he had picked. "Amazon law 120. All Amazons are honor bound by the laws and moral codes set by the first Amazon Pu-Kong to uphold. So will she follow this the rule of life for life payment." Blinking at the somewhat old way of saying things, Ryouga read the rest of the text as well as he could. "On her blood, her soul and her will, service and assistance to the person who had protect and helped the Amazon be carried out to the end of her life, or until her debt has been repaid fully." Ryouga blinked and looked up at Shampoo with wide eyes. "But this, you are not a…" 

Shampoo reclaimed the book and looked up at Ryouga with steady eyes and an iron will in her mind. "Shampoo no longer Amazon by blood or law, but Spirit still Amazon." Returning the book to where she got it, Shampoo settled down to stare at Ryouga. "Shampoo follow laws in spirit, so must she help Lost Boy until debt paid in full." 

Ryouga clenched his hands tightly as he shot a rather venom filled look into the sky. "Fine, so tell me. How do you plan on paying back the debt if you can't find me." Ryouga wondered if he could handle staying lost forever, but the prospect of spending the next few months with this girl breathing down his neck was not something he looked forward too. 

Shampoo blinked and then looked around the area with a lack of confidence. "Shampoo, Shampoo honor bound, of Lost Boy get Lost, Shampoo get lost to find Lost Boy." While most of her outer appearance spoke of confidence and unyielding resolve, she was breaking down on the inside. It was bad enough that she could never set foot on Amazon land with out getting killed or run out by her tribal sisters. 

Ryouga's small amount of confidence shattered as he heard the calm way Shampoo declared her willingness to follow him to the ends of the earth in a mad attempt to pay him back for something any martial artist with a grasp of the code would have done. Looking at her eyes, Ryouga saw the somewhat scared part of her, the part that was afraid of giving up on the meager grasps of stability she had left. Could he really condemn someone else to the same rotten kind of life he had? Would getting away from Shampoo be worth destroying her whole life?  Ryouga stared at the girl in front of him, slowly feeling like beating down the part of him that would do anything for a girl with a cute smile all the while. He gave into the cruel fate of the world. "I give up." 

Shampoo smirked as she stood up and looked at lost boy. "Lost Boy sleep tent, Shampoo stay outside and watch for danger." Turning around the dumbfounded boy, she began to move him towards the tent. 

Ryouga blinked as Shampoo began to push him towards the tent. Digging his heels into the ground he looked back at the girl with a rather annoyed look. "No way, you sleep in the tent. And I'll stay outside." 

Shampoo pushed even harder as she felt Ryouga try to overpower her. "Shampoo former Amazon, know how to sleep on ground. You do what Shampoo say." 

Ryouga broke the somewhat death grip the girl had on his shoulder and glared right back at her with narrowed eyes. "Forget it, I'm not going to let a girl sleep on the ground, my honor code won't allow it." 

"Shampoo's code no allow it either." 

Tension raised as the two most stubborn, unyielding, and hopeless persons to have ever passed Nerima, fought for superiority over the other. Slowly, one hand moved back. 

Shampoo looked up at Ryouga from under the purple bangs of her hair. "There only one way to settle this." Slowly, she flexed her fingers as she mentally prepared for her move. 

Ryouga nodded from under his own bangs of hair as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his nose. "You're right." Carefully he studied the other girl's hand as he prepared for her attack. 

Both hands flashed out and stopped right in front of the others. "We settle this, with rock, paper and scissor." Shampoo declared as they both shook their hands in the air. 

***************** 

Sunlight broke through the clouds and hit Ryouga in the face. Slowly, his eyes cracked opened to take in the sights around him; trees loomed up over him on the one side, and the forest gave way to a breathtaking view at the unspoiled nature of Japan on the other, as well as a several hundred meters drop very close to him. 

Feeling no hurry to get up at the moment, Ryouga stared up into the still pink tainted morning sky as he counted the number of puffy white clouds moving across it. Ryouga sighed in a very content way. When it all came down to the point, there wasn't quite anything like seeing a sunrise kilometers away from any kind of civilization. Out here it was just him, the open wilderness and... 

"Lost boy sleep well?" 

…The Amazon who had spent the night sleeping in his tent. Ryouga nearly tore the sleeping bag as he sat up. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed Shampoo standing outside the tent, stretching her arms and making that t-shirt she had borrowed from him rise up a great deal. "Uggugug…" Ryouga tumbled over back wards as his nose erupted into a shower of blood. 

Shampoo blinked at the sudden thud and looked over at Ryouga who had passed out with a small tinkle of blood running out of his nose and a look just like a deer caught in a headlight on his face. Looking at the boy, her eyes blinked and then she looked down at her t-shirt and shook her head in pity. "Stupid lost boy!" Looking at the small and ´barely burning remains of the fire, Shampoo began to wonder just what she was going to cook for breakfast as the other person was out cold for the time being. But first, she would take her morning bath.

*****************

The purple haired girl walked away from the camp, perfectly secure in the knowledge that no matter where she went, she could always find her way back. Ryouga began to stir, his mind still fogged over by the recent blood loss and vigorously working on the most vital solution to the problem. Namely, get something to replace the precious body fluid. Stumbling to his feet, Ryouga's head turned slowly to take in the camp, his eyes finally settling on the small canteen standing next to the dead fire. Twisting the lid off, he lifted it up to his mouth and mumbled in frustration when nothing came out.

Mind still trying to puzzle together the last few moments before the defensive shutdown, he worked for a short time on a list of solutions to this new problem. 1. Get another canteen. 2 Find the river. 3. Wait for it to rain. A quick search through the tent and his backpack showed him that all the water he had heated and put away for emergencies were gone, as were the clean towel and bathing equipment that he always carried around with him.

Turning to solution number three, Ryouga looked up into the sky, trying to force a rain cloud into existence. All he got was a cloudless sky and a small pinecone that chose that exact moment to loosen and fall. Swearing a little, Ryouga reached down and lifted his bucket and dumped the four canteens into them. He'd be damned if he was going to test fate by first taking a bath, and then going back for the bucket and canteens to reheat some new water, what with his sense of direction.

It wasn't until he was halfway down the small hill that he began to work over the fact that his bathing stuff was gone and that something else had been missing from the camp. It hit him when, slowly, Ryouga halted to a stop as he pushed the branches away and stomped through the bush to stare at the splendor of a mountain lake glinting in the early morning light that he remembered what he had forgotten. 

"Shampoo!" Everything in his mind hit the brakes as he suddenly got a very good idea as to why his bathing tools were missing. Shooting a quick look around, Ryouga scanned the area for Shampoo just in case she was getting an Akane reaction to a boy showing up when she was bathing. She wasn't over near the pine trees, nor was she at the more rocky part of the lakeshore. And to his right, that bush was doing a great job in hiding everything. Retuning his stare to the lake, Ryouga wondered if he should go out and look for her, of if he should just fill up the canteens and go back to camp. Well, it would be faster if he heated up some water right here and just took his morning bath. Reaching down for the fist canteen, Ryouga blinked as his sixth sense kicked in and warned him about a danger behind him. As he turned his head around he spotted a purple white blur headed straight towards him.

The girl that Ryouga was looking for was currently staring at the lake with a blank expression on her face. Just how the hell was she going to take a bath? One dip into the cold water and she'd be a cat, a small cat in the middle of nowhere. Dropping the lost boy's small bathing bucket onto the ground, she dipped her head forward and started to work over a possible way to solve this problem. She could after all, just soap up, jump in and hope the soap got washed off before it got stuck in the cats fur, and then use some heated water to wash it all off with. Grinning, Shampoo turned around and suddenly cursed as she remembered that she had no way of lighting up a fire with the equipment in the bucket. Grabbing the bucket, she kneeled down and jumped over the bush to make her way back to camp for a match or lighter. Looking down to see where she was landing, she blinked as a head with a yellow and black bandanna turned away from staring at the lake and tilted upwards to look up at her.

Ryouga and Shampoo had time for one short breath of air before the Amazon girl smashed into Ryouga. Arms flailing wildly, Ryouga took a step back and slipped on the canteen that he had dropped seconds before. Shampoo was waving her arms around in complete shock before they locked together in a hold around the lost boy's neck as she tried to find the means to regain her balance. Then the lost boy went lurching over backwards as he took a step behind him. A shiny, and slightly rippling surface came into her view as the world moved in a downward arc. Both teens suddenly screamed when it became all too clear where they were headed.

The lake surface rippled violently as the two bodies broke through it, sending out water in a large splash. Feeling water rush into his mouth, Ryouga snapped it shut and prepared for the frantic fight to escape from his heavy shirt before it could trap his smaller pig form under the water. As the change took over him, he curled up and headed for the largest opening in the now soaked shirt. Above him, a purple pink cat silently screamed as it pattered it paws and kicked it way out of the T-shirt. Breaking the surface and pattering her paws around in the water, Shampoo made her way back to the muddy bank.

Still under the water, Ryouga-p managed to moved out of the shirt completely and headed towards the light above him. Pushing aside the t-shit that suddenly filled his vision, he continued his race for the surface. Just as his small piggy lungs were starting to burn with the need for fresh air, he felt his snout and front hooves break through the water and into the cold morning air. Then the water rushed away from his eyes and his small body shot up into the air. With a mighty bwee, he exhaled the air he had been holding for roughly half a minute, and took in a large gulp of fresh air. Then he sank back down under the surface of the water for a second or two, only to resurface in a slightly calmer fashion.

On the bank, Shampoo-c was coughing up water and shaking her fur from the water that clung to it, making it heavy and cold. Finally, when the fur felt somewhat dry, she turned around and glared at the black shape standing innocently in the shallow water. Then her front paw shot out and the pig squealed and rushed back into the water to hide. Still hissing angrily at the pig, Shampoo never noticed that her tail had grown to twice its size, and that her back had arched upward with all its hair standing up.

In the water, safe from Shampoo's unholy rage and sharp claws, Ryouga wondered if he really shouldn't chance it and try to lose her at the first chance he got. But before he got that far, he still had to get past her. And that meant.

Faking a dash to the right, Ryouga zipped out of the water to the left of Shampoo and bolted into the heavy undergrowth of the forest. Hot on his heels, Shampoo continued to spit out every curse she could.

*****************

It had been hard, but finally she had captured the lost boy. Shampoo smiled as she leaned back and looked up into the sky. Her hair had finally dried and her shirt and pants outfit felt so much better than the t-shirt she had borrowed from the lost boy's backpack last night. Suspended between two trees behind the camp, the still wet clothes were drying. Speaking of the lost boy, her head turned around to stare at the sulking form sitting over the corner, wincing as he dabbed at one of the many scratches and cuts running across his arms, face and back. Giggling a bit, she stood up and walked over to the poor boy. "Shampoo help you?"

Slowly, Ryouga looked up at Shampoo, trying to figure out if she was being sincere or looking for a chance to hurt him some more. Then his face turned down and he looked at the first aid box settled in between his legs. He was most likely going to regret this, but it would be nice to get some help. In a hesitant fashion, his hand moved up, holding out the cloth and bottle of salve that he used to clean the small cuts with. "Thank you, Can you reach the ones on my back?"

Shampoo broke into a smile and grabbed the small bottle and cloth and settled in behind him. Slowly, she dabbed the cloth with the salve and began to clean the nastier one of the cuts she had made on his back. As she noticed the faint traces of blood running down from some of them, she blinked her eyes and tried to beat down the strange and sudden feeling of guilt she felt. Setting the bottle down, she placed the cloth piece across her leg and picked up some small band-aids and bandages to wrap around the wounds to protect them. Smiling as she wrapped the white bandage around his arm, she suddenly looked up and reached out a hand to trace the pattern of one of the small cuts on his shoulder. "Shampoo...Shampoo sorry about the way Shampoo act."

Ryouga blinked as the girl suddenly blurted out the words behind him; he had been too preoccupied with feeling her hands on his shoulder and how gentle she had been in cleaning the cuts. He had snapped out of it, though, when he had heard the first few words. Mulling over her words, Ryouga turned around and looked at the girl as she sat there behind him, her long purple bangs covering her eyes. "No, it's not your fault, it was my fault for standing there."

Looking up, Shampoo reached out her hands and grabbed Ryouga's shoulders. "Shampoo fault, Shampoo one who jump." Looking down at the ground, she moved a hand over one the cuts. "Shampoo hurt you, Shampoo no hurt one who help." Looking up with a single tear in her eye, she turned her head away and lets the silver drops fall freely. "Shampoo no worthy."

Ryouga blinked and felt his heart of glass crack slightly at the sight of the girl crying before him. Slowly, his hand reached out and gently cupped her face. "Shampoo, stop crying." Turning her head to face him, he reached down and hugged her. "Please stop crying, I don't want you to cry because of me." As the girl before him sniffed, Ryouga's heart nearly stopped as he got a clear view of the eyes before him.

Still feeling the hand holding her, Shampoo sniffed one last time and looked up. She couldn't judge the feelings in the hazel green eyes before her, but the way they seemed to move into one made her freeze, and her heart to beat a faster pace. Slowly, she began to move closer as his head dipped down to meet her own.

"Snort."

Both heads stopped midway and turned to face the intruder who had just destroyed the magic moment. Standing across from them on the edge of the forest, a large brown boar grunted as it scraped its hoof across the rock surface. In front of her, Shampoo felt Ryouga tense up and remove his hand from her chin. Slowly, in a steady pace, he began to edge over to his backpack. Puzzled, she followed his every movement, then her head snapped back as the boar squealed louder, only to notice that the boar had turned away from her direction and was charging at Ryouga in much the same manner that the boar she had met yesterday had done.

Ryouga jumped and rolled the last distance to his backpack, reaching down and pulling the umbrella up from where it lay on the ground, then holding it up in time to stop the boar from ramming him. Watching it with narrowed eyes, he timed his next move, and waited until the boar pressed forward again to drop down and press the boar up into the air. Giving the massive swine a glare, he ducked down, got a better foothold and launched the pig away.

Shampoo finally blinked her eyes when the pig smashed into the ground. Laying on its back for a short time, it suddenly rolled over and gave a loud squeal before running off.

Dropping the umbrella down to rest on the ground, Ryouga looked up into the sky and shook his head. Then he turned to face Shampoo. "Look, we better get moving. I don't wanna be caught in a mountain storm."

Standing up, Shampoo grimaced as she spotted a few gray clouds moving across the sky. "Shampoo and Ryouga go back yes? Great Grandmother be worried about Shampoo."

Ryouga grunted in response as he used the skill he had gotten from hundred of hours on the road, and packed the tent, sleeping bag, and leftover garbage down into different waterproof bags, somehow managing to fit it all into the narrow space of his backpack. Standing up, he strapped the backpack into place over his shoulder and relaxed when the umbrella slid into place on top of it. Then he gave a quick glance at Shampoo to see how far she had gotten. Oh god, Shampoo, he had almost. his heart rate suddenly took a beating and went into overdrive, his brain kicked into action and did its best to prevent Ryouga from going into cardiac arrest while standing up by shutting down everything but balance and breathing.

Across from him, Shampoo was busy packing up her own stuff, still pondering over what had happened, when she looked up and spotted Ryouga standing in the middle of it all, wearing this strange and glazed-over look on his face as he stared at her. Scratching her head in confusion, she moved up and began to wave a hand in front of his eyes. "Ryouga, Okay?" Shrugging when she didn't get any response beside a blink of his eyes, she reached down and grabbed his hand. "Come, Shampoo know way." And so, holding onto the hand of wildly stammering Ryouga, Shampoo began to guide him down the mountainside.

TBC: The way home. Didn't we take the left trail here?

AN: Sorry, Sorry. I'm sorry that I haven't updated this story until now. But I have so many other stories that also needed to be updated. And real life demands my attention a lot right now, but it should cool down a bit in the next few weeks. I'll try to get out the next chapter a little faster, but first I need to update a little girl and her big boar, that story hasn't been updated for as long as this one. On the other side, I went and got me a new and improved website. Tell me what you think of it. 

Dak.


	7. chapter 7

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: After the Mousse incident, Ryouga's trying to get away from everything so he can find out why he's suddenly so distracted around Shampoo. Unknown to him, Shampoo's tracking along, intent on paying back the honor debt she owes him.      

[Sign] 

(Thoughts) 

*SOUNDS* 

++++++++++Flashback++++++++++ 

Chinese

====================================

Unlikely Couple

Part VII

The way home, didn't we take the left trail here?

====================================

Judging by the locked door into the Hibiki home and the lack of powerful aura coming from the inside, she could guess that the lost boy and her great granddaughter weren't there at the moment. Moving around the house, she stopped when she spotted the open window on the top floor of the house, it would only be a small challenge for her to get up there.   

Looking at the note in her hand, Cologne was at a loss. The note, hastily scribbled down in her village dialect left no doubt as to what had happened to her great granddaughter. "Shampoo, sometimes I question you." Jumping around on her staff, the elder Amazon left the Hibiki home, skillfully avoiding the trap placed above the window once more, smiling as she shook her head. Truly the Hibiki family was a strange one. 

Stopping to stare back at the house, she shook her head with a finalized sigh. "With those two running around out there, it could be months before they show up again." Patting the strange colored dog next to her absently, Cologne blinked when she noticed the faint yet familiar aura of the hopeless blind boy that worked in her restaurant. "Mousse boy, you are wasting your time, Shampoo is not here, and neither is the boy."

The sound of robes moving told her that Mousse was backing away from her, to get a better place to strike or defend from. "Well, do you know where they are?" Already knowing where the boy was, Cologne continued to pet the Hibiki dog, keeping it from going over to see if the half blind boy was any threat to the house it protected

The sound of a sleeve moving back to expose a volley of chains and knives was all she heard in response, smiling Cologne turned around to face the boy with a cold look on her face, her staff moving through the air, sending out just enough force to knock he weapon out of the sleeves. "Should have guessed, you never wanted me anywhere near her did you." Mousse spat out the words as he jumped back and moved towards the backyard of the house. 

Following him with her eyes, Cologne reached out a hand and picked up one of the knives. "Boy, this obsession with Shampoo isn't good for you, already you have tried to hurt her, what if you do it again." Leaving the rest unsaid, Cologne stared at the boy with a sad look. "When you are ready, I will be waiting in the Neko Haten for you." Plopping the staff down onto the ground, she looked around the yard with narrowed eyes, as the boy was gone. He was getting better at his stealth and hiding skills, but he was still centuries away from fooling her. "Mousse, I meant what I said boy." Glaring up at the roof, a smirk crossed her face as she noticed the white fabric of the boys robe moving away from the edge. "Remember Mousse, if you try to harm Shampoo again, you will not live long enough to regret it." Turning away from the house with those words, Cologne left the boy to his own thoughts.

*****************

Somewhere in the Japanese wilderness, two sulking teenagers were trying to track their way back to the nearest form of civilization, the leader, a purple haired Chinese girl was currently cursing loudly in her native langue, impressing the Japanese boy behind her with some of the more colorful phrases.  

Rubbing a hand across his forehead, Ryouga cast a worried look up into the bright midday sky, noticing the lack of clouds to provide some cover from the blazing sun. As an experienced traveler, he could feel that his body was protesting against the extra hot air they were having, and was demanding a break to cool off and replenish on water. "Shampoo, I really think we should take a break and get some water to drink." Already beginning to drop his backpack to the ground, Ryouga stopped when he noticed the somewhat to glare sent at him from the Amazon.

"We no stop until back at Neko Hanten, so Umbrella boy keep walking." Shampoo growled out the new nickname she had thought up for the lost boy, wiping her own arm across her forehead as well. "Amazon proud, we go for days under burning sun, you strong warrior, you no should complain, sound weak." Returning to study the only map they had found of the area, Shampoo began to lead them further into the rocky mountain valley, headed towards the one town she had found on the map. 

Groaning, Ryouga pulled up his backpack and continued into the rocky terrain ahead of them. Skillfully moving around the large rocks, silently cheering when he noticed the forest starting back up again a bit further down the mountain. Still, it would have been nice with some water to drink, and some rest. "Are you sure we're going the right way? That rock looks familiar."

Looking to her left, Shampoo stared at the rock in question. Large and somewhat looking like a dogs head, it did have a striking resemblance to the one they had passed one hour ago. Looking back down at her map, Shampoo blinked and traced the path they had been traveling at for the last four hours. "No, is not same rock, we still moving in right direction."

Looking at the rock with a puzzled stare, Ryouga returned to following the purple haired girl, trying to think off his one true love. Akane Tendo, and mentally beating himself when he was distracted by the way her traveling companion hair moved, or how cute it looked when she turned to look at the surroundings with a half pout on her face. "Dammit, what is wrong with me?"

Shampoo stopped her walking as she heard the lost boy start up on the same argument he had been having with himself for the last few hours. "What umbrella boy complain about now?" Turning around and crossing her hands, she stared at the lost look on his face and sighed. "Shampoo want go home, you want too yes?" Turning back around, she tried to concentrate on the map, but kept getting distracted by the sound of Ryouga moving somewhere behind her. 

Ryouga stared at Shampoo with a frown; then he looked up at the sun with a concerned look on his face. "I still say we need to take a break." The sound of Shampoo walking away from him broke through his thoughts, looking back down again, Ryouga grumbled and began to follow her, staring intently on the purple hair moving from side to side as she moved, how it followed the movement of her… Giving himself a mental slap, Ryouga cursed himself for looking at the purple haired girl like that, and refocused on following the purple mane of hair.  

Several hours later, Both Ryouga and Shampoo stood still, their eyes staring at a rock shaped like a dogs head. Both of them a expression on their faces over seeing the same rock, but while Ryouga's was only a mild annoyance over something he was getting far to used to experiencing, Shampoo's was one of pure rage, it was unheard off that an Amazon warrior could be lost, it was something only outsiders face, not someone from the proud and noble Chinese Amazon's.

The map in her left hand made a crumbling sound before it began to smoke. Looking up at the sound, Ryouga stared at one very angry Shampoo glowing with a sickening bluish aura, the map held tightly in a clenched hand. "Uh Shampoo." Lifting a hand and trying to get the girl's attention, he winched as her right hand moved rather fast through the air, smacking into the side of the stone with a sickening thud, cracks spreading out from under it. "Never mind." Stepping back, Ryouga began to pull off his backpack, from the sight of the angry girl, they were going to be here for a while if he knew his angry Amazon warriors right. 

Screaming a loud and long string of curses in her native dialect of Mandarin, Shampoo began to shift from punching the rock to kicking it, the cracks spreading out more and more with each one, finally resulting in a rumbling sound and a lot of dust, as it broke apart. Huffing a bit, the purple haired stepped back and dropped the blacked remains of the map on the ground, knowing that it was completely worthless by now, turning to her companion, she breathed in several deep breaths of air, trying to calm herself down "Umbrella boy have an idea..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Ryouga. "What you doing!?"

Ryouga looked up from eating his first cup of instant noodles, a bit of the brew seeping down his chin as he sucked down the last of the slippery food. In his lap, a manga was opened up and had the signs of having been read several times, his eyes showed a small bit of puzzlement at her question. "Um, taking a break" Dipping his chopstick back into the cup, he fished out some more noodles and stuffed them into his mouth.

Stomping over and reaching down to strangle him, Shampoo stopped as her stomach gave a small growl at the sudden smell of food hitting her nose, her eyes turned big as a pink blush spread over her cheek. "Uh..." Then she dropped down to the ground in front of him. 2Shampoo give up, we lost in mountain forever, guess curse on lost boy spread to Shampoo as well."

The sound of wood breaking was heard as Ryouga snapped his hand down around the chopsticks, the small pieces of finely cut and sharpened wood never standing a chance against the strength of the lost boy. "Hey!" Shooting a dark look at the purple haired girl, he threw the remains of his chopsticks away. "I'm not cursed, I know where I am, and I only get lost because the maps are all wrong."

Cracking open one eye, Shampoo stared up at Ryouga with a rather sarcastic glint in them as she lifted up a finger to remove a few strange of damp purple hair from her forehead. "So, Umbrealla boy just lost all the time." Watching the rather interest sight of several veins popping out on Ryouga's face, she reached out and grabbed the cup of noodles away from him.

Still fuming at the remarks and jabs at his pride, Ryouga glared at the girl when he saw her holding his cup of noodles in her hand, the sight giving his a flashback to a similar scene with a pony tailed younger Ranma in a school cafeteria. "Humph, it's not my fault I'm like this, I blame it on my parents, they suffer from the same thing as well."

Putting the cup of noodles to her mouth, Shampoo almost sucked up some of the brew and the few remaining noodles, but stopped as her mind began going over the words of the lost boy. "Umbrella boy's parents lost like Umbrella boy?" Shooting a quick stare out of the side of her eyes, she saw him flinch at the question, not enough, but enough to show it was one of the more painful facts of his life. "Shampoo, sorry for..." Adverting her gaze, she settled for staring at a nearby mountaintop, sucking down the noodles and brew in one gulp, only to spit it out again just as fast, her face screwed up in disgust. Yuck. Throwing the cup away, Shampoo snorted, as she could still taste the noodles. "Food taste like week old sushi left in sun."

Across from her, Ryouga gave a small chuckle at it, his eyes closed to hide his mixed feelings. "Well, if it all you have to live off most of the time, you learn to appreciate its taste." Standing up, Ryouga looked down at Shampoo, and then followed her eyes to the nearest mountaintop. "You thought of a way to get out of this place."

Shampoo grinned as she stared towards the mountain in the distance; her eyes twinkle with barely hidden amusement. "Shampoo, forget Amazon's first rule of traveling." Pointing a finger at the mountain, she reached out and grabbed Ryouga's hand. "Find travel mark and follow it."

Ryouga grinned as he stared up at the mountain in the distance, his eyes growing a bit big as he too remembered one of the most basic things his father had tried to teach him when he was younger, too bad it hadn't really worked since he would always lose sight of it one way or another. "You... can find the way now?"

Shampoo nodded and started to walk down the path, her eyes burning with a new resolve and determination to succeed and return to Nerima and her Airen... No it was Ranma, but Great Grandmother would have a solution to that by now, it was a sure thing. And then, she could pay off her debt to Umbrella boy and both of them could return to their normal life. Slowly, her eyes lost a bit of the spark, as thought of returning to the role of fighting for Ranma's affection and him to accept marriage to her, didn't sound so... Well, it was something she didn't want to think off now. "Shampoo know way now. We go towards Mountain."

Ryouga nodded in response as he finished packing his backpack again, his eyes going to look a t the purple haired girl, the sudden feel of depression in the air screaming out to someone who's whole life had spent getting to know the sighs of it, but his also knew from those rare past encounters with other people, that sometimes people didn't want to talk about it, and this looked like one of those times. "Well, shall we go then?"

Giving a quick nod of her head, Shampoo turned around and began to walk towards the mountain, her eyes never leaving it as she did so, and almost right behind her. Ryouga was walking as well, his umbrella once again shading him form the glaring sunlight, staring at the purple haired girl with a hesitant look on his face Ryouga gave a small sigh. "Shampoo?"

The purple haired girl looked back at the strange tone in her companion voice. "Yes."

Holding out the umbrella, Ryouga gave an awkward smile. "Here, use this to protect yourself from the sunlight."

Taking the umbrella from the lost boy, she stared at it and him confused for a few seconds, before holding it up over her head, feeling the heat of the sun getting chased back a bit, and giving her some much need relief from it. "Thanks." Mumbling the word out as she turned around, Shampoo fought down a small pink blush on her cheeks and began to walk again, feeling the weight of the umbrella in her hand as she did so.

*****************

For Mousse, the search of the Hibiki house hadn't given him much to go by, other then the fact that all members of the Hibiki family had to have a serious mental problem. Pushing the last junk off him, he stared up at the robe swinging back and fourth. It was the fifth trap he had run into since entering the Hibiki house. And the strangely colored dog didn't make searching for clues to Shampoo's whereabouts any easier. 

Ducking under the training weights that suddenly fell down towards him, Mousse jumped through the door he had just opened and stared up at the latest thing in a endless amount of random objects that had nearly brained him for a third time since setting foot in this house, Mousse question the idea of even returning to the house again. 

Staring at the bedroom he was in, he noted the lack of traces in it as well. Sighing deeply, Mousse pulled out the small bottle he had finally gotten his hand on after so much trouble, and cash. Inside of it, a clear liquid swirled around and promised the love of the person he had always wanted, now if only that person he loved wasn't missing, life would have been perfect. "Damn you Hibiki, what have you done with my lovely Shampoo!!" 

Turning around to leave, he stared at the door with a cold glare. "Not this time Hibiki." Turning back to the Window, he pulled it opened and jumped back to avoid the hand weight that dropped down from it hiding place above the opening to land on the ground. "This family is insane." Moving out through the window, he stared into the yard with a concerned look on his face. "My darling Shampoo, I will save you from that bastard Hibiki and his evil ways."

Jumping off form the house, he lad on the small path leading through the backyard and then set off again, soaring up into the air and onto the roof of the neighboring house, and from there onto the next one and the next one. His path was clear to him now as the train tracks became clear. "Nerima, where ever he is now, he will make it back to Nerima sometime, and that's where I will be waiting for him." Grinning, the Chinese boy jumped down onto the side of the train as it speeded past, several passengers shooting a frighten look out at him when he hit the wall and grabbed a hold of it. "Just you wait Hibiki, your defeat will be swift and painful, that I promise you." 

The train moved towards Nerima, several passengers shaking their heads at what they saw as an insane passenger laughing his head off while he was clinging to the side of the train, then again, the word that he was often seen in Nerima explained it all to them. One had to be insane to come from that district.

*****************

The sun had long since begun to settled as they at last, finally found themselves walking across a village limits at last. Both Shampoo and Ryouga was more then ready to scream out in happiness at the sight of the brick and wood houses around them, instead they settled for glaring back at the mountain range in the horizon, both of them felt a shudder when remembering the last few hours spent in them. "Shampoo happy to be out of mountain." folding the umbrella down, she smiled as she handed it back to the boy standing behind her, the sudden feeling of it no longer in her hand left it and her arm feeling as light as a feather. "Go find place to stay, and get bath."

Ryouga nodded as he shook off some of the dirt as he felt Shampoo reach out and grab his hand, holding it gently as she tugged him down the street after her, he found himself staring at the delicate look of it, as the feeling of a faint blush forming on his face became clear to him, and then the fact that he was walking became clear. "Hey, I can walk on my own you know."

Stopping, Shampoo stared back at him with a light glare, her temper very closer to the breaking point. "Shampoo want bath now. No spend night looking for Umbrella boy." Returning to walking, she clenched her hand a little tighter when she felt Ryouga try to shake his hand lose. "Shampoo find good place stay, then she let go okay." 

Glaring at the back of the Chinese girl, Ryouga felt his heart beat a little faster as he felt Shampoo squeezed his hand. Whatever response he might have had was lost as a rush of hormones made him blush and nearly stumble over his feet. Shaking his head and trying to fight off the blush on his face, he never notice how he simply followed every direction that Shampoo led him in like a trained pet. 

Stopping, the Purple haired girl looked up at the small sign on the wall next to the door with a smile, only to grumble as Ryouga continued walking nearly pushing her over. "Umbrella boy stay still when Shampoo stop." Looking back to the sign, she reached into her pocket and fished out the small amount of money she had on her. "How much Umbrella boy have?"  

Breaking out of his thoughts, Ryouga stared at the girl before he felt her stomp on his foot as she glared at him, then he stared down at the few crumble yen noted and coins in her hand. "Oh!" Reaching into his pocket and retrieving his wallet, he pulled out the meager amount of cash he had as well. "Here, that all I have."

Looking at the amount of money added to her own, Shampoo began to count up just how much they had together. Then she looked back at the sign to confirm it. "We stay here." Not waiting for Ryouga to respond, she reached out and grabbed his arm, dragging him in. The inside wasn't very pretty looking as the place was far from the normal tourist spots, moving through the entrance hall and into the reception as fast as she could with the lost boy dragged after her, stopping as soon as she reached the counter. Lifting up the money, she waited for the elder sitting in the chair to notice them   

Looking around the place, Ryouga shook his head. While it was levels above his shabby tent any day, it still looked like a cheap motel. The walls only had one lousy painting of some small lake, and the rug they stood on was faded and worn. All in all, he had seen many places that were better then this. Staring ahead and at the elder who still hadn't noticed them, Ryouga reached out a hand and gently knocked on the counter to get some attention.

Looking up from his place behind the counter, the owner glared at Ryouga and then at Shampoo with half closed eyes and an angry frown as he held open his newspaper. Looking closer at Shampoo, he glared when he noticed her Chinese look and clothes. "Go away, we're closed." Looking back to book before him, he sighed and felt himself drift off to sleep again.

Ryouga looked at Shampoo with a puzzle look on his face, then he turned back to look closer at him. "Hey, we want to rent a room." Not getting a response, he gently pushed past Shampoo and cleared his throat a little louder as he knocked on the counter a third time. "I said we want to rent a room." 

Looking up again, he looked from Ryouga to Shampoo with a darker frown on his face. "You with her kid?" As Ryouga nodded, he looked from the black haired boy to the Chinese girl. "Then we don't have a room." Pushing back from the counter, he began to walk away from counter. "I don't rent out rooms to them."

Glaring at the man as he walked away, Shampoo felt her temper reaching new heights, moving way beyond the breaking point she had reached before. "Shampoo want room now." Slamming her hand down on the counter to give her words extra weight as she spat out the words.

Turning around to face her, the man held up his hands with a disgusted look on his face. "No understand, now get out." Glaring at Ryouga he moved his hand lewd way. "Chinese lover." Spitting out an insult to follow the movement as well. 

Whatever else he would have said went unheard as Ryouga smashed the counter into a pile of rubble. "What did you call me!?" Each word came out with the same temperature as ice as he walked across the remains on the floor and felt every muscle in his arms tense. Glaring at the stammering man before him with narrowed eyes promising a horrible pain in the near future, he grabbed the front of the man's shirt and lifted him up into the air to dangle. "Now, before I leave, I want you to apologize to her!"  

Looking from the angry face of Ryouga to the just a deadly look on Shampoo, the man broke out in sweat. "Look, I didn't know that you two… I mean that I… Don't kill me." Resorting to begging instead of apologizing to them, he struggled to get out of Ryouga's grip and finally he turned to a simple but old treat. "I'm telling the police, you can't get away with this."

Moving over to look at the man still held up by Ryouga, Shampoo reached out a hand and smacked it into his face as hard as she could. I should kill you for that insult male. Spitting out the words in Chinese, she stared at the man lying on the floor, blood running from his nose. But I'm tired and I don't want to waste my time on you. Let's go Ryouga Turning, she marched out of the room.

Looking down at the man one last time, Ryouga followed after Shampoo, leaving the man to yell curse and obscenities after them as they left. Staring around the dark village, Ryouga pulled his backpack on better and looked sideways at Shampoo. Her mouth was a thin line as her anger flared around her in a bright blue flame. "Are you okay?"

"No." Looking back at the house, Shampoo kicked a stone at the wall. "Shampoo want kill man for that." Spitting out a curse in Chinese, Shampoo returned to walking down the road, looking for another place to spend the night. "Shampoo tired of hearing stuff like that."

Ryouga blinked and hurried to keep up with her. "You… You get called names often." Cursing even as he asked, Ryouga looked away from the pained look on Shampoo's face. "I mean you don't have to tell me at all… Just forget I ever asked." Her Face became more drawn with each word he said, Nervously Ryouga began to wave his hands in front of him, feeling an impending doom at the hands of a rampaging Shampoo. "I'm sorry."  

Breathing out loudly as she tried to forget her anger, Shampoo stomped down the road, looking from one house to the other, keeping an eye out for a place to stay for the night. Behind her, Ryouga walked, face locked in deep thoughts as he could remember the times he too had been the target of people calling him names due to his bad sense of direction.

Minutes passed as each of the two young one walked down the road, their thoughts on a different subject, but still very similar from time to time, it hadn't been that much later before Shampoo stopped to stare at a small house to their left, a similar sign that she had seen on the last hung on the outer wall. Walking up to it, she glared at it with tired eyes cursing at the Japanese words written on the sign in her mind. "Umbrella boy, we afford this place?"

Stopping, Ryouga stared at the sign with a curious look as he read it, running a finger down over the words his face took on a more trouble for each sentence. Staring from the number of rooms to the prices a few times more to make sure, he finally turned to stare at Shampoo with a blush on his face. "Well, we could stay here, but… well… we can only afford one room."

Staring from Ryouga to the sign and back again, Shampoo sighed as she leaned up against the wall, tiredness and a headache beginning to from the long walk taking a toll in her. Clenching her hands, she stared at the lost boy with a firm glare as she reached out and grabbed his hand. "We get room, no care if share, want to sleep in a bed an have real bath for once." 

"But… but…" Protesting the whole way, Ryouga reached out to grab a hold of the wall, only to feel his body getting yanked off the ground and nearly thrown through the door as Shampoo pulled him in with her. Getting off the floor, he shook his head as Shampoo walked up to the counter with a firm gaze on her face.

Hammering a hand down on the bell located on the counter, she looked towards the door as she began to tap her foot, shooting cold eyes at the furniture and paintings inside the room, snorting as she noted that it looked a bit better then the last place she had been at. Behind her, she could hear the lost boy getting back on his feet, than she noticed the old woman walking out of the back room. "Shampoo want rent room, and no want hear comments on Shampoo background."

Looking at the young lady before her, the old woman shook her head and took out a small pipe, lighting it up she took a deep drag before blowing the smoke out into the room. "So, would you like two beds or one in the room for you and your companion?" At the sudden beat red face on the boy, and the growing anger on the girls face, she noted to herself that it would require two beds in the room instead of just one. "Well, let me see your money."

Dropping the few bills and coins they had on the counter, Ryouga and Shampoo continued to stare at the old woman as she counted the money, the pipe sending out a thin steam of smoke, finally she took out the pipe and stared at them with the same uncaring look that she had the whole time she had been present. "You're 2100 yen short to afford two beds in the room."

Looking a bit down, Ryouga began to turn around to leave, Shampoo face nearly red as she was starting to shake with anger and frustration over the treatment she had to endure in the last half hour from this old woman and the idiot man down the street, her first impulse was to reach a hand back and pull out a bonbori to force the price down by smashing the counter. 

Pulling out the pipe of her mouth again, the old women leveled a glare a Shampoo, silently threatening her to do it, then her face soften and she stared at them both with a look that could have belonged to Nabiki anytime, it spoke of a unbending will in the field of trading and price haggling. "Well, there might be a way for you to rent the room anyway."

Shampoo stopped and returned the greedy business women glare with her own Amazon warrior glare, putting down a hand over their money, she continued to look at the old women. "What you talk about?" Her voice was calm, but spoke of hidden violence that she would unleash at any moment if she didn't like what the old woman was up too.

"Well…" Taking a deep drag of her pipe, she allowed her sentence to trail off as she began to go over a few numbers in her mind, taking in the look on both of the two travelers, blowing out a small smoke ring, she returned to looking at them with her full attention. "If I were to let you sleep in the room, you'll have to work off the difference in the price." 

Ryouga opened his mouth to protest, when Shampoo smacked her hand down on the counter. "We take it." Her look back at the lost boy would have killed anyone if it were a weapon. Nodding in agreement to the deal, Ryouga breathed out as the purple haired girl removed her eyes from him and picked up the key handed to their room instead.    

The old woman grabbed the money and dumped into a metal box from under the counter, looking at them as they picked up the key, she briefly grinned over the deal, then it was back in her normal cold glare. "Room 11, up the stairs. Whatever you do in there, keep it down, other people are trying to sleep."

Both Ryouga and Shampoo shot a dark glare at the old woman as they walked up the stairs, Ryouga after getting rescued from nearly walking out the door by a rather irritated Shampoo. Reaching the room, Shampoo nearly kicked it down in order to enter, her eyes going over the rather sparely room. Two beds that looked like they belonged in the army, one simple dresser, and one window with a simple piece of clothe for a curtain. "Umbrella boy stay here, Shampoo look for bath."

Nodding in response to the words from the Chinese girl, Ryouga settled down on the bed and dropped his back pack on the ground, the few lumps in the bed not feeling that bad to someone who was used to sleeping on a rocky ground with only a sleeping back between him and the very earth itself most of the time, it wasn't that bad, a bit above the average, but still rather normal. "Now what." Leaning back on the mattress, he stared up at a spot filled ceiling that was in desperate need of paint. "Where do I go from here?" Eyes turning to the side, he stared out the window and up into a night sky just starting to show the first few stars of the night starting to come out. 

Down the corridor and inside a small room, Shampoo stared up at the showerhead, the water still in the process of warming up. Which would explain was she was almost hugging the wall, the last thing she needed was to spend time as a cat. But while she was taking care to avoid the water, it was purely on reflexes; her mind was far too busy working over the current problems she was facing. "What wrong with Shampoo? why she no longer feel so happy at thought of Arien?" Eyes going to the water falling to the ground, a sad smile crossed her face as a single tear of frustration joined the water. "What Shampoo do deserve this?" Sighing and sinking down to the ground, her sniffs of stress turned to a loud cry that turned into a cat's scream as she placed herself right in the path of the cold water. Looking up, the pink cat eyes closed to prevent water form hitting them. {What Shampoo do, deserve this.}

TBC: Trials, Leaving the Mountains at Last.

An: Well, another chapter out, and if I'm not wrong, just as long a time as it took to get out the last one, namely half a year. I'm really getting to be too lazy on my Ranma stories aren't I? Still, I'm hoping that some of you old readers are still out there and in the mood to leave a positive review of this story.


	8. chapter 8

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: After the Mousse incident, Ryouga's trying to get away from everything so he can find out why he's suddenly so distracted around Shampoo. Unknown to him, Shampoo's tracking along, intent on paying back the honor debt she owes him.

[Sign]   
(Thoughts)   
SOUNDS   
Flashback   
/Chinese/

====================================  
Unlikely Couple  
Part VIII  
Troubles with a shower  
==================================== 

Walking through the corridor with a feeling of utter dismay, Shampoo-cat meowed loudly as she looked up at the door in front of her as she popped her claws out and began to scratch the door to get Ryouga's attention before she was kicked out of the inn for being a cat.

Inside the room, Ryouga sighed as he sat up form the bed, one hand pushing a wild lock of hair away from his eyes as he rolled over on the bed and stood up. "I'm coming" Keeping his eyes on the wooden door, Ryouga grimaced as he struggled to make his way through the room.

Outside the door, Shampoo debated with herself if she should risk getting heard by the old lady if it could make Ryouga open the door at a much faster pace. Even as she lifted up her front paws to hit the wood again, the door began to move as Ryouga looked out into the hallway. "Meow!"

Turning his head down, Ryouga shook his head as he picked up the pink cat from the ground. "Cold water huh?" Placing her on the bed, after nearly getting sidetracked out the door two times, Ryouga pulled open his backpack and lifted up a thermos from the inside. "This is the last one, so be careful with it."

Giving him a glare at the tone of his voice a she spoke, Shampoo-cat jumped down onto the floor, and waited for the hot water to hit her. She didn't have to wait very long as the water hit her head and back, soaking her fur and making her feel even more damp and miserable then before.

But it was good to be back in her cat form. Blinking her eyes, Shampoo-cat yowled for all she was worth as she turned to face Ryouga who had turned pale as well, his eyes moving to the thermos and the water on the ground. "I don't understand, it was hot when I made it yesterday..." Trailing off, Ryouga reached down a finger and quickly jabbed it at the water in the bottle. "Damn it, its only lukewarm."

Re-screwing the lid onto the thermos, Ryouga stood up and grabbed Shampoo-cat from the ground, trying to hold onto her as she began to squirm in his arms. "Hey, you want to get changed back, we have to find hot water." Feeling her relax, Ryouga grinned a bit as he looked down at her. "Now where's the bathroom?"

Giving a loud yowl and sending her claws into Ryouga's leg, Shampoo glared up at him as he was staring down the wrong end of the hallway, her tail moving in the air a bit as he gave a deep sigh of defeat and turned around on the spot, stopping as he faced their room, giving her a quick look from the corner of his eyes.

Ready to sigh as well, Shampoo jumped up on his shoulder and pointed in the right direction with her front paw, nearly running it down under his nose to reach the right direction.

Turning his head in the direction she had pointed out, Ryouga nodded as he began to walk in it, giving a small grunt every time he felt Shampoo correct it with a poke of a claw on his chin. Finally reaching the door into the shower room, he pulled it open and shut a look into the place.

The shower were still running and a small puddle had formed on the ground from it, but that wasn't the main problem, looking closer at the shower tap, Ryouga shook his head as there was no way he could reach it without turning into P-Chan.

On his shoulder, Shampoo cat hissed a bit as she stared at the damn source of her current misery, the water not really the problem, but the cursed form it carried with it, a sign of her weakness, her humiliation and fall from grace.

Still thinking of the problem with the cold water, Ryouga gave a deep growl as only one real solution came to mind, one he hadn't really considered since he had promised himself not to use that technique again, ever. Moving down a hand, he grabbed his belt and undid the knot on it, holding it in front of him as he used his Chi to form it into a sharp, longer version of his bandannas.

Staring at the belt sword, Shampoo nearly fell of his shoulder as she wondered if her great grandmother knew the lost boy had mastered the Iron Cloth Technique. "Meow?" Turning her head to face Ryouga, she blinked when she saw a deep concentration on his face as he stared at the shower tap.

Then the lose boy lashed out with his belt, watching as it snapped around the cold water tap as he willed the belt to become soft for a second, long enough to get the end of the belt to get a good enough hold of it for the rest of his plan to work.

Shampoo blinked and shook her head as the belt turned hard again, enough to allow Ryouga to move the end of the belt in his hand to turn off the water. Letting a few drops of cold water drop to puddle of the ground before he nodded to himself at his work.

"There." Pulling Shampoo off his shoulder, he placed her on the ground and pulled his belt free, re tying it around his pants waist line, grinning a bit as he reached an arm to turn on the hot water tap, pulling hsi hand out as fast as he could as the water started to run down in a steady stream. "I'll be waiting back at the room." Ryouga added as he turned around, pulling off his shirt and dumping it on the floor near shampoo. "Sorry about your shirt and pants."

Staring after Ryouga as he stumbled off in the right direction, Shampoo shook her head and reached in a front paw to test the water, grinning as it had already begun to warm up enough for her change back. Then she spotted the fine silk lying under the puddle and gave a loud angry howl as she recognized her own clothes.

Above her, Ryouga stared at the clothes and then down at the pink cat. Shaking his head as a small tendril of blood flowed out of his nose at some of the more X rated thoughts that popped up in his head. "Must stay faithful to Akane." Still, it was a bit tempting to... "Damn it." Ryouga muttered out as he carefully reached down to guess the temperature of the water without triggering his own curse. "Lukewarm."

Shampoo nodded at his words as she moved a bit away form the water. Her cat body starting to get a bit heavy with the water it had soaked up. "Meow!" Placing one paw in the general direction of her clothes, Shampoo shot Ryouga a glare, daring him to fail in figuring out what it was she wanted.

Staring at her with as he felt rather tired. Ryouga slowly nodded as he had spent enough times in a similar position to know what she was complaining about. "I'll go and get your spare clothes." Turning around, he blinked as he found himself face to face with the wall. "Hey, where' the door."

On the ground, Shampoo growled a bit as she snapped her claws out and into his leg, blinking as all she could feel where the cloth of his pants and some rather powerful lower leg muscles under it. "Meow?!" Looking up, she noticed that he had turned his eyes back to her. "Meow, Rrr, pfff Meow!"

"Huh?" Ryouga replied as he shot a look at Shampoo who had gone off into a speech while in her cat form. The complete meanings of her words missing him, as he couldn't even begin to guess what she was saying to him.

Finally grumbling a bit, Shampoo turned around and poked a paw into the water again, sighing a bit as she heard Ryouga turn around in a haste behind her. Stepping further out into the water, her head dropped down as her body didn't tingled with the feeling of her curse getting deactivated until she was hit by cold water again.

"Hey you, young man."

Turning his head, Ryouga stared at the old woman as she moved down through the hallway. Her eyes half closed, as she held onto a small candle light in one hand and a small cane in the other. "Yes, ma'am?"

Stopping near the bathroom she stared into it for a small second as she could have sworn something pink moved out of her line of sight. "I've turned off the hot water for the night." Seeing his puzzled expression, she shook her head a bit and pointed up at a thick rusted steel pipe running across the ceiling. "It costs to much to have it turned on doing the summer, the heats seeps out through those things doing the night and costs me a fortune."

Nodding a bit as he looked down from the ceiling, Ryouga sighed a bit and rubbed a hand on his neck. "Okay. Well, I'll just pick up my bathing stuff and head back to my room then." Reaching into the room, Ryouga quickly piled the Chinese shirt and pants combo together while ignoring the pink underwear that had started to slip out from the shirt and pants. "Goodnight!" The last was aimed at the old lady who had started to walk down the hallway.

Ducking out into view as soon as the old woman had left, Shampoo looked up at Ryouga who shrugged at her as he stood up. Carefully keeping the soaked outfit away from him. "Sorry, guess you're stuck like that for now OW!" The last bit was added Shampoo sank her claws into the flesh on his hand while hissing at him.

Turning her back to him, she moved out of the bathroom, with the level of arrogance that only a cat could show in a situation like that. Her eyes flashing a bit as she shot a quick look back at him before taking off down the hallway.

Nursing his hand for a bit, Ryouga shook his head as he carefully placed the clothes into the small bucket holding all of Shampoo's bathing stuff. "Crazy Amazon girl." He muttered out while standing up, closing the door to the bathroom as he walked out into the corridor.

"Meow!!"

Turning around as an angry cat voice rang out behind him. The pink tail of Shampoo's cat form slipped into their room with a quick movement up ahead of him. "Oh." Muttering out the word, Ryouga walked up to the room and stepped into it. Placing the bucket with the wet clothes on the floor next to the window, staring at the curled up form of Shampoo on the other bed in the room before he shook his head and sat about wringing out the water from her shirt and pant's.

TBC: Finally we're out of that crazy place.

AN: A short chapter. And not even with the title it was meant to have. There are two reasons for this. One, I'm suffering with a bad case of writers block with this story. Two, it's been over half a year since I last put out something for it.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: After the Mousse incident, Ryouga's trying to get away from everything so he can find out why he's suddenly so distracted around Shampoo. Unknown to him, Shampoo's tracking along, intent on paying back the honor debt she owes him.

(Thoughts)  
SOUNDS  
+Flashback+  
-Chinese-

* * *

Unlikely Couple 

Finally we're out of this crazy place

* * *

Shampoo grimaced as she looked down at her outfit from yesterday, somehow it had gotten tossed into the cold water from the shower when she had been transformed, and now it was soaked through, effectively ruining it completely. "Shampoo really hate this." Mumbling as she placed it on a small coat hanger, she looked over at her backpack and pulled it open to see just how many clean clothes she had left. 

Pulling out the items in question, She looked at them. Only two shirts, one pair of pants and a good deal of undergarments was left, and, it didn't look like it would be enough for a pro longed trip around the mountains as it were shaping up to be.

Grabbing a fresh set of clothes from the pack with a small mutter, these ones colored a light pink with soft flower petals embroidered on both the shirt and pants, she began to put them on. "Better not get ruined as fast as others." Muttering out the word as she finished dressing, she turned to face the task of figuring out how to transport the wet clothes with her non wet ones.

However the sound of someone knocking on the door drew her attention away from her clothes issue to stare at the wooden object behind her with a mild level of contempt as the knocking repeated itself a split second later. "Shampoo, are you ready?" Ryouga's voice clearly heard through it.

Standing up from the bed and her clothes, Shampoo grimaced. "Be out in second, need to get dressed." Yelling out the words, she grabbed the wet clothes and wrapped them up in her sleeping bag, hoping that it wouldn't be too wet when the time came for her to use it again.

After that all she had left was simply stuffing the rest into her backpack, which she placed it at the foot of the bed after doing it. "Shampoo ready."

"Okay." Came the reply from outside as the sound of a door could be heard. "Hey, what happened to the room, and who placed all this junk here."

Sighing loudly, Shampoo walked over to the door and pulled it open. "Stupid Ryouga, that broom closet, room over here."

A small cough drew the attention of both of them over to see the elder lady standing at the corner. "I wouldn't worry about that." Walking over to them, she looked at Shampoo and tossed something at her. "Here, you'll need that."

Staring down at them, Shampoo's eyes narrowed a bit as she recognized the rubber gloves. They looked just like the ones Mousse wore, when he was ordered to clean the tables. "Shampoo clean tables?"

Shaking her head, the elder lady pulled out a bucket, mop and washcloth. "Close, you can start with the room you two slept in, and then take the rest of this floor." Turning to Ryouga, she poked his shoulder and upper arms. "Hmm, strong, good, that will help you. You can clean the backyard, after that, there a some dishes waiting for you." Giving a smug grin, she turned and left.

Staring down at the bucket, Shampoo mumbled a few choice words as she picked it up. "Should have stayed in tent, cleaning room is for males, not proud..." Freezing as she barely finished the sentence, Shampoo sighed and pushed open the door into the room again, slamming it behind her.

Walking away from the closet, Ryouga wisely decided to stay a good bit away from her, at least until they had to leave. He didn't want to spend too much time near her if she was going to be in that kind of mood.

Plus, it would give him time to wonder about these new thoughts that had been plaguing him lately. Thoughts of how much he should be missing Akane, with her nice smile, friendly eyes, and purple. Freezing, Ryouga shook his head as he set about doing the first chore. "I love Akane, she's the one for me, I love Akane; she is the only one for me." Mumbling the same thing over and over again like a mantra, hoping that it could get him back on track again.

* * *

"OI! Old woman?" Ranma's voice rang out through the Neko Hanten as he brushed the colorful drape hanging over the doorway aside with his right hand, the other one stuck in his pant pocket. "You in here, Shampoo? Mousse?" Hollering out as loud as he could for them, the pigtailed boy dumped down in a chair as close to the door as he could, just in case he had to make a quick exit. 

"Ah, Ranma." Jumping out from the backroom at the loud yells, Cologne grinned as her eyes locked onto the elder boy sitting at the table he almost always sat at whenever he showed up. "If you're looking for Shampoo, she's not here." Taking her place at the table, Cologne kept a careful eye on the boy as she waited for him to catch onto what she had just said.

Turning his head to stare at the elder Amazon, Ranma smiled as he leaned in over the table with one hand holding his head up, both eyes narrowing as he looked at her. "I know Shampoo isn't here, some of the guys at schools been moaning about that, I'm just wondering why Mousse hasn't shown up to challenge me this week like he always does."

Cologne didn't change expression as Ranma droned on about Mousse and fights. "Ranma, there has been a few problems between Shampoo and Mousse lately, problems you would be wise to stay out of." Jumping up from the table, she turned her head to stare at the pigtailed boy. "But, there is one thing you can help me with."

Frowning at her words, Ranma pushed of the table with a more serious look on his face. "What?"

Pulling out a small piece of paper, Cologne flung it at the pigtailed boy with pin point precision, grinning as he caught it before it was allowed to get too close to him. "Your friend Tofu, have him look into that stuff I've written down, I think Mousse may have gotten in over his head this time if I am right." Not waiting to answer any questions, Cologne had already gone off to the backroom with a grin on her face.

Just staring after the old woman with a complete look of puzzlement on his face, Ranma pocket the paper slip and began to walk back out of the room. "Humph, what is with this place and weirdness." Rubbing a hand through his hair when he made it out, he sighed and looked up into the early morning sky. "You leave for a simple training trip, and everything changes while you're gone."

"Ranma!"

Feeling the looming presence of pain behind him, Ranma sighed as he began to turn around to face his fiancé who were glaring at him. "Except of course for some things." Putting on a smile before he got smashed for looking unhappy at seeing her, he gave a small grin. "Akane, what brings you out here."

Eyes narrowed in suspicion at the friendly words coming from Ranma, she turned her head to stare up at the Neko Hanten banner moving in a sudden gust of wind, a deep feeling of anger and jealousy running through her as she instantly though of him hanging out with the purple haired Chinese girl. "Ranma, what are you doing here?"

Stepping back as he began to recognize the way she glared at him, Ranma gave a short shudder as he quickly looked for an escape route, or at least something to distract her long enough to avoid getting hammered into the ground. "Um, the old ghoul asked me too do something and... I didn't see Shampoo in there."

"So." Akane asked as her whole face lit up with happiness, a bright smile forming on her face as she walked closer to the pig tailed boy who looked like a deer cut in the headlights of a speeding car. "You wanted to see Shampoo huh." A deep blue aura of anger formed around Akane as she pulled her fist back. "Then go to her you stupid jerk! See if I care." Huffing in anger, Akane followed the Ranma shaped figure flying off into the distance rapidly.

"You stupid tomboy!"

Standing on the roof of a building across the street, Mousse grinned as he followed the sight of the rapidly fading Ranma in the horizon. While he didn't like the sight of that Saotome boy, it always brought a smile to his face when said sightings involved the boy getting hurt in some way.

But fun things like that had to wait. First, he had to find Shampoo and give the potion, then, he get back at Ryouga and everyone else who had ever been in his way. Smiling a bit as he thought about it, Mousse lifted up the small vial and looked at it as he grinned. "I won't even need this anymore." Tossing the vial away, the male Amazon turned to head in the direction of the Hibiki home again, just to check it out and see if they had shown up.

Down on the ground, Akane huffed as she turned to stare at the Neko Hanten again. "Stupid jerk." Waling off, she blinked as something glinting fall down from the sky, landing with a slight clinking sound on the marquise of a toy store, still glinting as it began to roll down the fabric towards the street. "What?"

Feeling far more curious then she should at the sight of it, and already suspecting foul play involved form it since it was Nerima, Akane promptly grabbed the said thing before it could hit the ground. "It's just a stupid vial." Mumbling out the words in disgust, Akane prepared to throw it away when her eyes landed on the label on its side. "Chinese, but..."

Turning to face the Neko Hanten, Akane departed if she should go in and ask what was up with it, or if they knew something about it. It would also mean she might find out what Ranma was up to this time before it became to late for her to avoid getting wrapped up in it. But still, it felt like it was too late for even that to be avoided.

* * *

"I'm never cleaning another dish in my life." Ryouga mumbled out as he looked down at his wrinkled hands, the smell of cheap soap heavy in the air as he stepped out of the inn, back pack slung over his shoulder. "How can a place as cheap as that really have that many things in need of cleaning?" 

Shampoo looked up at Ryouga's outburst and shook her head, if anyone had reason to complain over it, it was her. "You think you have bad luck, Shampoo clean every room by hand." Grumbling a bit as she secured her own backpack, the purple haired girl pulled out the one thing they really needed at the moment. "Okay, map say we go south from here, follow mountain road down."

Setting off, she kept a fierce glare on both the map and the road; there was no way they were getting off track like this again. She wanted to get home to Nerima, to her great grandmother, and a way to become Amazon again, as soon as she had paid him back for helping her she would be happy to see the lost boy vanish out of her life again, no matter what he foolish heart might say about it. "Umbrella Boy follow Shampoo, no get lost, or Shampoo hurt."

Gulping a bit at the threat, Ryouga kept a firm eye on the back of the purple haired girl. Sighing as he once again noticed how those locks of hair moved with everyone of her steps, the hidden strength under those soft looking arms of hers. And how nice she looked when she cast a look back at him.

Shaking his thoughts back on the correct track, Ryouga smiled at her and moved a bit faster to catch up with her. Knowing that he would feel a bit better if he walked next to her, instead of behind her. That way he could focus on more important things. "So, do you think the others are wondering about us? "

Shrugging at first, Shampoo slowly unfolded the map and looked at it. "Not sure, Shampoo only care about Ranma." A small dead tone sneaked into her voice as she spoke, her left hand trampling slightly as she cast a small nervous glance at the last boy next to her. "He strong, brave, able to defeat anyone."

Closing her eyes, she looked away as her mind tried to banish the thought of how the lost boy's muscle had been clearly visible through the shirt he wore, and how he would look without it, just like that time in the restaurant two years ago, or in the camp a few days ago.

Blushing, she quickly turned and held her fingers up to stop the small trail of blood running from her nose. Ignoring the puzzled look Ryouga cast at her sudden rapid turn away form him.

Finally getting it under control, she sighed deeply and picked up her pace again, more eager then ever to make it back to Nerima. No matter what might come out of it. She needed to reclaim her Amazon status, marry Ranma and return to China, she couldn't allow herself to be districted by another outsider male at this point, she couldn't.

Behind her, Ryouga walked faster as well, keeping her close enough to avoid getting lost, his mind once again trying to convince him to notice just how beautiful she looked like.

Shutting down that thought as fast as he could, Ryouga focused on counting the number of rocks on the roar instead, trying to make his brain forget about Shampoo. "Why did I even do it?" Whispering out the words, Ryouga tried to figure out why he had saved Shampoo that night, or even why he had picked her up when he found her in that alley.

And once more he found himself facing the one thing he didn't want to face, he had done it because he wanted to, because it didn't seem right to just leave her there, or let her get killed off by a somewhat unbalanced Mousse.

He didn't know how long he had been thinking quietly to himself, but it had been a while if the new position of the sun was any kind of indication to him. But not even his thoughts could be protected from Shampoo's sudden cry of joy and the pull on the robe around his wrist. "What?"

Pointing a finger up at a nearby sign, Shampoo smirked as she shut Ryouga a victories grin. "Ryouga see sign, say we almost back at home again." Smirking even more, Shampoo returned to staring at the sign with a look of victory.

Nerima, 20km. Staring back at him with big eyes, Shampoo crossed her arms in a confident way while thinking of all the nice things she could do now that she was almost home again in the good old restaurant. "We almost home." Her voice showing just how happy she was at finally getting to where she wanted too. "We find Great Grandmother, talk with her about problem."

Hearing the words from her, Ryouga lifted up his head and stared at her with a bit of surprise. "I can handle Mousse, other then him, I don't see a problem." Scratching his head, he eyed the outskirts of the Nerima district in the distance, the place he both hated and loved at the same time.

But this time also knowing that along with what had caused this mess in the first place, also had somewhere in there, the solution to the dilemma of his heart.

AN: A short chapter. And not even with the title it was meant to have. There are two reasons for this. One, I'm suffering with a bad case of writers block with this story. Two, it's been a very time since I last put out something for it. I am very sorry for that, but I got distracted by other stories in the meantime, stories I felt I had a lot more connections too then this one.

I am not sure if I can finish this one, but I'll try, in the meantime if someone wants to use the idea, they are more then welcome too.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: After the Mousse incident, Ryouga's trying to get away from everything so he can find out why he's suddenly so distracted around Shampoo. Unknown to him, Shampoo's tracking along, intent on paying back the honor debt she owes him.

Sign  
(Thoughts)  
SOUNDS  
+ Flashback +  
Chinese 

Mail comments and questions answered.

JSB: Thanks for the kind words, I'll try and give a good enough answer for why Mousse did what he did in this chapter.

JustWriter: Ryoga or Ryouga. It is up to anyone how to spell it. Both of the names can be used, but the one with the U is simply the Romaniced way of the Japanese spelling. The U acts as a break between Ryo and Ga without really having a space between them.

Aron: I'm continuing the story; hope you like this chapter and the next one. And thank you for the kind words.

* * *

Unlikely Couple  
--  
Home again, and in time for trouble.

* * *

Cologne, Council member and elder of the Amazon tripe of China's Quinlong province looked up as the door to her restaurant was showed open in a gentle and familiar way. Sunlight still streamed in through the door despite it getting late in the evening, and therefore blocked part of the entering persons profiles.

But to her, such things did not matter, she had already guessed who it was as only two people would come to this place at this time of the day,. and with a rope tied between them. "Welcome back Shampoo, Ryouga."

"Greetings Great Grandmother" Shampoo called out as she took off her shoes, placing them in the appropriate rack and took on her in door shoes, Ryouga simply using the doormat to wipe off as much dirt as he could before following after her over to the table that Cologne was sitting at.

Tapping her staff against the ground, Cologne waited patiently for both Shampoo and Ryouga to settle in, her keen eyes noting that Ryouga had given Shampoo a rather, if she had to say so, endeared look briefly before crushing it. "So, did you two have fun on your little trip?" Her eyes directed at Ryouga, clearly wanting him to answer the question instead of Shampoo.

Opening his mouth to answer after a second or two, Ryouga closed it as he didn't really know how to phrase it, but still, she had asked him and he owed her an answer, not matter how stupid it would sound. "Well, it was a trip alright. Nothing really different happened on it."

From her place, Cologne had noticed the brief glance that Shampoo had given him, the lightly unsure glint in those purple depts. Making her give a mental sigh. Clearly her great granddaughter had let slip one of her secrets on the trip, and Ryouga were trying to avoid talking about it. "Tell me what happened boy, I do not like it when I am kept in the dark."

Opening his mouth once more, Ryouga cast a frantic look over at Shampoo, simply getting a pleading look back as she glance both at him, Cologne and her own hands. "Ah, you see, what happen was this."

And so Ryouga told the story to Cologne, trying to keep as much of it free of what he had been thinking along the way. Or how he had nearly seen Shampoo undressed, or heard her uncertainty over the way people had treated her from her nationality.

Removing her pipe, Cologne blew out a medium sized smoke ring and cast a quick look over the two young people before her, her keen eyes narrowing a bit as she weighed the story she had been told in her mind. "Very well, for now you two can rest up, but we must speak about things later, I have learned something that I think you two would benefit from hearing about."

Turning her attention to Shampoo, she gave a elderly smile at her. "Shampoo, why don't go and show Ryouga the bathroom, and after that, come back here, I wish to have a private conversation with you."

Bowing quickly in respect, Shampoo stood up and stared over at Ryouga who had stood up as well, a confused look on his face as he tried to figure out what Cologne could know. "This way Ryou, I mean Umbrella boy." Pulling a bit harshly on his arm, she cast a discrete look over her shoulder at Cologne as she guided Ryouga to the bathroom.

Waiting for a few seconds until she heard the bathroom door open, Cologne picked up her pipe and watched as smoke rose up lazily from it. "Young love, ah, I remember it so well." Took a deep breath of air through the pipe, Cologne blew out another smoke ring and sighed. "I just hope it won't cause them too much trouble at this point."

Cracking open one eye as she heard a chair move, she noted the guilty expression on Shampoo's face as she sat down, clearly she had heard the last sentence that she had muttered out. "Great Granddaughter." Removing her pipe after addressing her young charge, she stared at Shampoo with a neutral expression. "I have found a way for you to become an Amazon again, but, first you must tell me just one thing."

Seeing the purple haired girl stiff at the words, she felt like hitting the young girl over the head. She was letting out to many emotions with her body langue, and it simply wouldn't do. "Child, tell me, what do you think of Ryouga? And answer me truthfully."

Clenching up her hands, Shampoo lifted up her eyes and stared at her great grandmother as she gazed back at her. "Stupid Lost Boy, I no care for, I..."

Narrowing her eyes, Cologne prompted Shampoo on with a glare, the purple haired girl acting more frustrated as she noticed the glare. "Shampoo confused, Shampoo like Ranma, but also, Ryouga. Great Grandmother know how that is?"

Simply puffing out a ring of smoke as response, Cologne stood up and used her staff to get out into the kitchen, and back in with a small glass bottle emptied of its contents. "A trouble heart brews problems Shampoo, and in your case it is not a good time to have one."

Planting the bottle on the table she stared down at it as she tapped her staff on the table. "Now listen up Shampoo, I have sent out Ranma to fetch me a bunch of ingredients to make up a cure for Mousse, the fool somehow got himself infected with a powerful potion I was working on."

"Passion potion, but those only work if you breathe them in." Shampoo mumbled out as she watched as Cologne tapped her cane gently on the bottle before him. "It no explain why he go crazy and try to kill Shampoo?"

Smoking out a ring again, Cologne chuckled as she watched her great granddaughter across the table. "True, that kind of potion I was making is the kind you would have to breathe in to be effected by." Narrowing her eyes as she finishes her sentence, Cologne took a deep drag on her pipe and continued talking. "Mousse must have mistook the powder for something else and somehow gotten far to much of into his body."

Seeing how things were connected, Shampoo smiled a bit as she sat up a bit straighter. "Stupid Mousse inhale powder, and when se Shampoo, go even more crazy over her, crazy enough to." Biting her lip, Shampoo fell back in the chair and shuddered a bit. "How long powder work, Shampoo no like thought of crazy Mousse still out there."

Giving her a shrug, Cologne stood up and moved over to the kitchen area again, stopping in the door opening long enough to look back at her. "When Ranma returns with the ingredients I need, I shall make a potion to solve this little problem, until then be careful."

Pushing aside the curtain before the kitchen entrance, the elder Amazon vanished out into the kitchen. "In the meantime Shampoo, why don't you think off who it is you want, you know the law on dating more then one male while bound to a kiss of marriage.

Shuddering at the thought of her acting like that boy, Shampoo moved towards the back of the Neko Hanten, already wondering how she could decide between them. Stopping before the supply closet, she pulled it open and grabbed the largest towel she could find.

Maybe a bath would help her figure out what she could do about her love problem.

* * *

Inside the bathroom, Ryouga found himself in much the same dilemma, as he was once more going over the problems of his glass heart. Both Shampoo and Akane had found a place in it, that he had been forced ot admit at last, but it also brought along the thought of how he could choose.

Should he go for Akane? The first girl to have been kind to him, to find the courage to be his friend, and not just reject him because of his curse. Sure, at first he had used her as a means to annoy Ranma with, he had promise to ruin his happiness, and he had cared for the girl, then he had seen Akane for the first real time, and found himself in love with her.

She was strong, caring and loving. Striving to be as much of a girl as she could be, without losing herself in the process of doing so. She wasn't like the other girls he had met so far, she was trying to be herself and stay true to what she wanted, plus, she wasn't scared of how strong he was, at least he thought so.

And for that she had been the object of hsi affections, at least until now, for even since that day in the alleyway, someone else had him distracted at night, and when he was wandering alone, someone who had found her way into his heart and mind in much the same way as Akane, completely unexpected.

And she too wasn't like the girls he had me before. With that long purple hair, and her smile and twinkle in her eyes when she was happy about something.

"Ryouga okay in there?"

Snapping his head up, Ryouga gave off a nervous laugh as he faced the door, seeing it opened slightly to allow Shampoo's voice to be better heard. "I'm fine, really, nothing is wrong in here, I was just thinking, honest."

Getting a sigh from the other side of the door, Ryouga blinked as the door opened a bit more. "Shampoo wondering if Ryouga done with his bath, Shampoo need one too, and Great Grandmother is waiting for us."

Getting his heart and mind under control, Ryouga let out a breath of air as he stood up, planting one foot outside the bath top and grabbing the only towel he could, feeling a bit put out by its bright pink color. "Um yeah, I just need to."

Freezing, Ryouga stared over at the door opening as he found himself seeing Shampoo, well, it was her reflection in a mirror placed on the wall outside the bathroom, but that didn't lessen the shock of seeing her wearing nothing but a large towel over her body.

Feeling his nose burst, Ryouga let out a large groan as his knees buckled under him and sent him crashing down to the floor in a dazed heap.

* * *

"Ah, you're awake again." Opening his eyes to see who had spoken to him, Ryouga was met with a vision of horror, a image so horrible he wouldn't have been surprise to find himself surround by a wall of flames and someone greeting him with a welcome to hell.

But instead he got a light scuffing sound as the image moved back and placed itself on a pillow next to him prone and half dressed body. "Where am I?" Muttering out the three single words he was the most familiar with, he grunted as a reply came from a staff getting smacked down on his head. "Hey, what did I do!"

Still giving him a non-believing look, Cologne shook her head and stood up and walked around Ryouga, poking him with her staff here and there as she nodded or shook her head. "Not to shabby, but still not near Ranma level, but I'm starting to see why she seems to have taken to you."

Feeling more conscious about his state of dress then he normally would, the lost boy nearly gave himself a whiplash while trying to locate his backpack or t-shirt. The fact of him sitting only half-dressed before the old woman had him lightly scared.

Then he stopped looking as he felt Cologne tap him on the back of his head. "Yean, what is it?" Grunting out the words in his normal half angry manner, Ryouga stopped as the elder Amazon popped up right in his face with a stern glare. "What?"

Huffing as she moved back, Cologne half closed her eyes as she pulled out her pipe and lit it up. "You best show some more manners when dealing with me boy." Letting out a smoke ring as she stopped talking, the elder woman moved over to the only window and stared out of it. "Ryouga, how would you feel if I told you that I have found a way for Shampoo to become a member of the Amazon tribe again?"

Snapping his head around to stare at Cologne, Ryouga felt his heart grow a bit lighter as the thought of Shampoo getting back what she had been stripped off, her Amazon position and pride. "That's great for her, but, I don't really see what it has to do with me, or has it?"

the last had been muttered out as Cologne had turned back around to stare at him, her eyes full of the same level of seriousness that he had only seen at the time when he had been taught the breaking point technique. "You better listen carefully Ryouga, for this will effect you and Shampoo."

Narrowing his eyes in concentration, Ryouga gave Cologne his full attention, one hand curled up as he felt something nagging about it all, a feeling that things were not going to get better, but rather worse.

* * *

Inside the bathroom, Shampoo leaned back in the water and sighed as she closed her eyes, the hot liquid serving to loosen up her muscles and make her relax as she felt herself nearly drift off into a light sleep. The only thing preventing it the mass of thoughts streaming around in her head, as she had only now begun to understand what she had been dreading. "When Amazon again, I must strive, to be all that I can be, and live up to the promises I made in the past."

And one of those promises was way she had gotten into this whole mess, she had a honor debt to Ryouga, an ancient Amazon tradition demanding she marry Ranma, the very same one who had gotten her kicked out of the tribe. Failing to secure the stubborn male within the allowed timeframe given her by the council had expired, and if she did become an Amazon again, she would only be giving a fraction of that time to try and redeem herself.

But to do so, she would have to capture and marry Ranma, as traditions demanded off her. No matter how torn her heart felt at the moment, Ryouga, he was so... But he wasn't Ranma, he couldn't take the place demanded by traditions, he couldn't.

Sinking further down into the water, Shampoo planted one hand over her heart as she sighed loudly, causing bubbles to form in the water, as her mouth was halfway covered by it. "Shampoo, Shampoo not know what to do." Maybe it would have been for the best if there had been a law or loophole allowing her to lay claim to them both.

Cursed that Lo Xion for been so greedy that the Council had been forced to overwrite the law and forbid that an Amazon marry more then one male.

For now, she had a hard choice to make, a very hard one indeed.

* * *

Sitting calmly on a rooftop, Mousse stared down at his loved one, or rather a photo of her. "Shampoo, why didn't you accept my plan, all you had to do was marry me, and all you had lost would be yours again." Clenching up his free hand, Mousse turned his head to watch a lone figure walking down the street towards him. "If you had, I wouldn't have been forced to do the things I did."

Pocking the picture, Mousse walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down at the street as the person below walked close enough for him to talk too. "Ukyo Kuonji, I want to talk with you"

Glancing up at the arrogant and demanding tone of voice, Ukyo glared at the long haired Chinese boy standing above her, one hand curling up tightly around the Okonomiyaki box held protectively in one of her hands as she stared at him. "What the hell do you want?"

Jumping down to the street, Mousse grinned as he turned to face her, already a where of the spatula shurikens held in one of her hands as she gave him a wary gaze. "Ukyo Kuonji, I need your help." Turning to take a step forward, he stopped as four spatula shurikens were embedded in the sidewalk before him. "Hmm, not very friendly are you?"

Eyes narrowed, Ukyou held out her big ass Spatula as she gazed over at Mousse, her mind trying to figure out why he was there, and why she got the feeling it wasn't just a friendly visit. "I don't trust you Mousse, you're always harassing Ran-Chan, and..."

Stopping he talk, she stared as Mousse held up his hand, a simple book with Chinese words written on it, his face nearly splitting from his grin as he held it out to her. "I promise on the Amazon book of laws that my plan won't involve Saotome in anyway. And trust me, you will help me once you hear what my plan is, after all, it will rid you of Shampoo's competition in claiming Ranma."

Still standing with her eyes narrowed, Ukyo stared over at Mousse as she lowered her spatula a little bit. "Well, keep talking, but I'm warning you Mousse, this had better be worth my time, or else."

"Well." Mousse mumbled out as he grinned on the inside. "Let's just say I found a sure fire way to get Shampoo's affection once and for all, and all you have to do is distract the old Ghoul and Hibiki for me."

Narrowing her eyes even more, Ukyo readjusted her grip on her spatula as she listen to him, a frown forming as she heard the last part of his sentence. "You want me to keep Ryouga out of your way? What's he got to do with this, he obsessed with Akane last I checked."

Mouth turning into a thin line, Mousse eyes flashed with raw anger as he clenched up both hands tightly within his wide sleeves. "No anymore, it seems he doesn't want Shampoo to become my wife, and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep me away from her."

Lowering her weapon completely, Ukyo gave him a curious look as she walked closer to him. "So just how do you plan on getting her to love you, give her some kind of a potion?" Her voice loaded with malice as she thought about someone doing that to her, then again, it wasn't her who would suffer form it. It was shampoo, the stupid Amazon who had always gotten in her way; well, almost all the time.

Planting her spatula on her back again, Ukyo gave a weak grin as him as she held out her hand. "Got nothing to lose from it I guess, so I'll join forces with you, for now." Holding out her hand, she blocked out the voice in the back of her mind protesting this team up.

TBC: Ukyou and Mousse, teaming up, can that be true.

AN: Yes, I know I said that I wouldn't work on this anymore, but, just as I wrote this story off as a victim to the great Writers Block, inspiration struck me again. So enjoy this chapter, even if it is a bit short, but at least its longer then the previous one was.

Forgive me my misspellings here and there; it's been a long while since I had to use the Chinese location names.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranma1/2.

Summery: After the Mousse incident, Ryouga's trying to get away from everything so he can find out why he's suddenly so distracted around Shampoo. Unknown to him, Shampoo's tracking along, intent on paying back the honor debt she owes him.

Sign  
(Thoughts)  
SOUNDS  
+ Flashback +  
Chinese 

* * *

Unlikely Couple  
The Ukyou and Mousse team up part 1

* * *

Staring at the vial in her hands, Akane sighed as she once more debated what to with it. She couldn't seek out the Amazon's, since it was more then likely to be part of one of their crazy plans to get Ranma to marry Shampoo. And there was no way she would allow that, not while she still had her honor and her, well, she had her honor. She didn't love him; sure, he could be nice, and of so handsome, when he wasn't a jerk, or a pervert.

Which was why she would take it over to Tofu and get his opinion on it. He would know what it was, and what to do with it and if there was an antidote for it and what that was.

There were not going to be another love pill like incident, not around her. No way. Still, knowing Nerima, it would backfire at some point, that much was sure. And that was why she needed to know as much as she could about it, to prevent things form going completely wrong.

"Dr. Tofu?" Pulling back on the door leading into the entranceway, Akane blinked once as she found herself face to face with Ranma, the boy staring at her as he was balancing a small bag on one foot, his hands stuffed into his pants pockets. "What are you doing here?"

Giving her a standard, lightly annoyed expression at the light accusation in her voice, Ranma quickly pulled out a hand and grabbed the bag from his foot. "Picking up some stuff for the old crone, what about you?"

Looking lightly embarrassed over it, Akane stepped back and allowed the pigtailed boy to step out and closed the door behind him. "Well, I'm here to see Dr. Tofu, about something important." Reaching out to open the door, she stopped as Ranma gave a concerned stare. "What, you don't think something wrong with me do you, I just need to talk to him about something."

Giving her a skeptic glance, Ranma's narrowed his eyes as he spotted the glass vial in her hand. "What is that?" Not waiting for her to answer, Ranma nimbly snagged it form her and stared at its contents. "What the, where did you get this from."

Stepping back a bit at the sudden firm voice, Akane gave a nervous shuffle with her hands as she tried to force away the voice screaming out the accusation. "It's not what you think, I just found it after Mousse dropped it."

"So let me get this straight" Ranma started off saying as he cast a casual glance down at Akane next to him, one hand trailing around the glass vial in she had picked up. "Ya saw Mousse drop that thing, and ya just picked it up."

Opening her mouth to answer, Akane blinked as the vial was snatched away from her, the glass object glinting in the air as Ranma held it up in front of him. "Be careful with that thing Ranma, you don't know what that stuff is."

Shaking the vial as a small grin spread over his face, Ranma suppressed the urge to grin as it did flash through his mind just what it was that he was holding in his hand. "Trust me Akane, I know just what to do with this thing." Pocketing it, he turned and gave a quick wave as he ran off, bag of ingredients given to him by Tofu dangling from his shoulder. "Later Akane!"

Huffing lightly as red spread across her cheeks, Akane clenched up her hands and turned to leave, her eyes narrowed as the word jerk flashed through her mind. "Honestly, would it kill him to be careful with things, knowing them, it has to be some weird love potion."

"It is." Came Ukyo's voice as she stepped out from behind a corner, her eyes reaching Akane in a matter of seconds. "And before you start yelling Akane, I have a business proposition for you." Her mouth settling into an uneasy smile of friendship, she casually walked towards the youngest Tendo daughter. "So, do you want to hear it?"

Getting a feeling of hesitation and dread, Akane couldn't help but feel just a bit curious as too why Ukyo had come to her off all people when she was known to be trying to split her and Ranma up every now and then. "What is this proposition of yours?"

All smiles at the tone of voice from the other girl, Ukyo grinned as she stopped right in front of Akane. "What if I said I had a way to get Shampoo off of our backs for good." Eyes glinting with deviousness as she spoke, Ukyo didn't give the other girl a chance to reply to her. "Just think about it for a moment Akane, I know you want to be rid of Shampoo as much as I will, and I just happen to have a way to do so."

Feeling a deep sense of dread filling her, Akane gave her best skeptic glance over at Ukyo. "So why do you need me? Can't you settle for someone else?"

"It's simple Akane Tendo." Came Mousse voice as he showed up behind her, his back straight up and his glasses pushed up on his forehead. "For our little plan to work, we need that vial back."

Staring at the half blind Chinese boy with a light tick in her left eye, Akane quickly reached out and turned him away from the light pole, her other hand pushing his glasses back down over his eyes. "I'm here, and that vial you all want, I don't have it anymore, Ranma does."

Feeling Ukyo sneak one arm around her shoulder, Akane turned her attention back to the longhaired girl smiling right at her as she began to lead her away. "And we need it, and much as it pains me to admit it, you are the only one who can get it back from him."

Opening her mouth to protest, she stopped as Ukyo gave her a very deep stare. "You will help us, won't you? After all, all we need is the vial back, and then we'll handle the rest on our own."

Smirking behind them, Mousse grinned as he watched Ukyo use her gift to convince Akane to just give them the vial, knowing that the vial would be back with them again no matter what. And when Shampoo had fallen in love with him, like she should be after all he had done for her, he would make sure Hibiki fell in love with a female pig, after all, that would be fitting him for getting in the way.

* * *

Shivering as he stepped out into the back alley behind the restaurant, Ryouga cast a nervous look up at the sky, his mind full of conflicting emotions and worry. And the wish that things could just go back to normal after this, which it was very likely, it wouldn't.

Slipping into the first move of his training exercise, the messy haired teenager with the bandanna quickly debated if he should make a break for it again, after all, Shampoo was up in the bath, and he was down here, she wouldn't be able to follow him if he did run away.

And she wouldn't distract him again, with her nice smile, that soft purple haired and the way she would stare at him from the corner of her eyes.

Shaking his head and chasing that line of thought away, Ryouga quickly slipped into his training again, using more power with each move he made, more then he really needed to.

"Well, well boy, training are we?"

Halting his current backhand/swiping blow, Ryouga glance back to see Cologne sitting on the doorframe, her eyes narrowed at him while she twirled her staff around. "Can I help you Granny?"

Giving off an amused laugh, Cologne quickly moved over to face him from the front, her eyes narrowing a bit more as her grin turned into a smile. "Well boy, I just wanted to see how much you have progressed after my training." Landing on the pavement, she held out her staff and lightly poked his arm. "And I wanted to talk with you in private, about Shampoo, and what I told you before. To make sure you understood it"

Feeling the intensity of her stare, Ryouga began to move back, knowing that this conversation wouldn't be as light as the other one had been. He stopped that though as her staff flashed through the air, aiming right at his throat. "What are you doing?"

Grinned as she watched him deflect the strike, Cologne jumped back and began to lash out again, keeping the young boy moving all the time. "You understand that you will not be allowed to watch the trial, or talk with Shampoo before it or a day after."

Knocking aside a low strike, Ryouga grunted out a confirming mutter before ducking low and trying to knock Cologne back a bit to give him some more room. "I know, but you never really did tell me what she had to do, just that it would require a lot of her, both physical and mentally."

Jumping over Ryouga's leg swipes, Cologne laughed heartily as she balanced both her staff and herself on his kneecap, her eyes dancing as she saw the annoyance flashing through his hazel colored orbs. "I would have thought you have understood it by now, for her to become an Amazon, she must either defeat the object of her humiliation, or undergo the trial of mind, body and spirit. So, she must either win over Ranma in a fair fight or."

Dropping his guard completely at the outburst, Ryouga simply stared right ahead until he felt something hard push him backwards, Looking down in surprise, he spotted Cologne's staff hitting his ribs just about enough to hurl him through the air when she added more pressure to it.

Regaining his balance as he did a back flip, the lost boy stared at her as he relaxed, giving the clear signal that he wasn't up for anymore sparing at the moment. "She has to defeat Ranma, but she's not" Cutting off the rest of the sentence as he remembered where they were, Ryouga sighed a bit and shook his head. "Sorry about that Granny, but, are you sure about that, aren't there another way?"

Smirking much like a shark, Cologne stared at Ryouga as she tapped her staff against the ground. "Well boy, as Mousse found out, she could also become an Amazon through marriage, but since the only amazons around are Mousse and myself, I think we can rule that out."

"You want me to give her some training, prepare her for what she has to do?" Muttering out the question while rubbing a hand through his hair nervously, Ryouga closed his eyes as Cologne moved up closer to him, her face showing nothing but dead seriousness.

Stopping next to the lost boy, she sighed and looked down. "That won't be necessary, as I said, she either had to defeat Ranma, or take the trial of Mind, body and spirit" Letting the statement hang in the air for a while, Cologne kept staring into the darker end of the ally, her mind already going over what she would be needing to do now that her great granddaughter had returned. "It will be up to her to decide, but even so, I fear the challenge she will face with either choice."

"What choice?" Came Ranma's voice as he landed on the ground next to them, on hand casually holding onto his bag while he had a relaxed expression on his face. "Hey, Ryouga, when did you get back into town?"

Giving the pigtailed boy the evil eye at the, from his point of view, mocking comment. "Ranma." Resulting in him spitting out Ranma's name the way someone spits out a curse, one hand clenching up as his battle aura started to rise, not quite reaching the visible range.

Across from him, Ranma, from having spent many a moments fighting or talking with Ryouga, had long ago learned when he should get completely ready for a fight, rather then when he should just be on guard. "Come on Ryouga, all I did was greet you, no reason to get your bacon all fried up."

Shutting his mouth as his words came back to him, Ranma quickly moved backwards to avoid the powerful punch moving through the space his head had just occupied a moment before. "Hey, Ryouga calm down, I didn't mean anything with it, it was just a comment."

Battle aura moving into the visible area at that thoughtless response, Ryouga was more then willing to start a small war in the back ally. "Ranma, prepare to DIE!" Lashing out with several quick jabs and kicks, he stopped as he felt something bounced on his back, the object landing on Ranma head and doing something similar to him. "Granny, what are you doing?"

Knocking out the last of the ash form her pipe, Cologne stared at each of them and shook her head. "We have more important things to discuss, like where you got this from Ranma." Holding up the vial Ranma had gotten from Akane, she gave him a serious look. "If this is what I think it is, Mousse has already reached phase two, and we are more pressed to do something before it too late."

Both boys getting the same confused expression at the same time tried their best to focus on the elder woman as she dropped down to street level. "What do ya mean phase two? And what's Mousse up to this time, another one of his stupid challenges?"

"No, it's not a challenge yet Ranma." Came eth response from Cologne as she began to move back towards the back door to the restaurant. "It is something far more then just that, the passion powder come in three phases, the first one is to increase the desires already present in the male who breathes it in."

Sucking in a breath of air at that thought, Ryouga shook his head or tried too when he remembered the look on Mousse that time when he had broken into his house. "So, he got even more obsessed from it, enough to attack and kill if he couldn't have Shampoo?"

Giving a confirming nod at him, Cologne narrowed her eyes again as she lifted up the vial. "But this, this tell me the powder had reach its cooling down phase, where the motions and behavior of the subject diminishes to a level closer to the original."

Taking a deep breath after that long sentence, Cologne began to stuff some fresh tobacco into her pipe. "But while that happens, the heighten level of obsession remains, and the affected one will be doing nothing but devote every waking moment to obtain the means to win whatever struggle must be face. And while he doesn't show it very often, I know Mousse can be very devious and clever when he wants to, so we must be extra careful."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner old ghoul, I could have helped you with it before it became this big a problem!" Spitting out the words with a lot of venom behind them, Ranma stopped as he felt Cologne staff poke him in the chest, her eyes full of anger as she glared at him. "What? You know I could have helped with this thing."

Not answering right away, but adding pressure to her staffs poking, she finally let off and turned away form him. "Ranma, it had nothing to do with you, everything related to the Amazon tripe is none of your concern, not Since Shampoo was dishonored and cast out from your refusal to accept the kiss of Marriage."

Just staring at the retreating Amazon elders back, Ranma went over the words she had spat at him in his head. Was it his fault, he had never wanted to be engaged to Shampoo, and had, well, he hadn't really done anything about it, sure he had given out an angry denial when he was pressed, but the rest of it, he was simply content with ignoring it whenever he could.

Turning his head to the side, the pigtailed boy watched Ryouga just standing there, the lost boy eyes focused on him in return. "Hey Ryouga, did you know about that as well?"

Giving off a flat glare at the open accusation in Ranma's voice, Ryouga shook his head and moved towards the door as well, stopping only as he felt Ranma grab his shoulder. "Look, I didn't know okay, all I did was help Shampoo after an incident downtown. Mousse and all that just showed up afterwards, I still don't know why they told me all of this."

But even as he muttered out that explanation, Ryouga had a pretty good idea as to why it was that way. Cologne had clearly pointed it out earlier, and even now, he had to admit it, even if it scared him.

He was feeling something for her, something more then friendship. And it felt so much like what he had felt for Akane, and yet so very different. Akane still held a place in his heart, but it was fading, and Shampoo, much as it confused him, were taking up that space more and more everyday he was around her.

Shrugging off the hand, Ryouga closed his eyes and wondered what he should do now. It was more then clear to him that if Shampoo became an Amazon again, she would go after Ranma again, and if he liked as he was begging to think, he would be right back fighting that pigtailed jerk for someone he...

"Ranma." Speaking out the name in a surprisingly non-hostile tone of voice, Ryouga didn't face him as he took the final few steps towards the door. "You should stay out of this, for your own sake."

Seeing the door close, Ranma felt like yelling at the heavens for dropping him into another fine mess, and this time, not as the center, but as one of those that got caught up in it without knowing what was going on. And he hated that feeling. It was like a weakness.

* * *

Standing silently on a rooftop, Mousse continued to stare out over the countless homes spread out in the Nerima district. His eyes half-closed as a smirk played across his face. "So, Ranma has my vial, that does present a small problem, as he has without any doubt handed it over to Cologne by now. Not to mention Akane telling us to keep her out of it, which means she'll tell him we've joined forces against him and Shampoo."

Sitting on the tiles behind him, Ukyo shook her head in a hopeless manner and stood up, her battle spatula getting returned to its place on her back. "Guess that plan a failure then, there's no chance of us getting it back now, or even getting near him." Turning to leave after making the final comment, she stopped as she noticed Mousse starting to laugh softly. "What, what is it now?"

Turning to regard her, Mousse quickly moved over and grabbed her shoulders tightly. "Think about it, Akane will be going there to tell them of our little conversation with her, and when she does so, I will have a chance to get what I want, and so do you."

Narrowing his eyes as he released her, the half blind martial artists stepped back and released a dark laugh into the sky above them. "It's so simple, I challenge them to a fight, and while doing that, you will simply retake the vial from them"

Giving a more skeptic stare at him, the crossdressing girl couldn't very well deny it. His plan did have some good points, but also a lot of room for failures in it. "You can't take on Ran-chan and Ryouga on the same time, they'll flatten you in a second."

"I know, which means Ranma will have to be convince to stay away, and the best way to do that." Mousse replied as he pulled out a note and showed it to the girl standing behind him. "Is to give him a good enough reason to do so."

Reading the note, Ukyo cast a very dark look as she folded it up. "Mousse, I want Ran-chan to be mine, but this plan, you want me to kidnap Akane, she my friend, well sort of."

Still smirking as he faced her, Mousse reclaimed the note and continued his grinning. "She won't be kidnapped, the main part is making him think we have kidnapped her." Stepping back a bit, the half blind martial artists turned around and began to run off, jumping across the street to land on another rooftop. Making sure that he didn't lose his current ally, as she still had to play out her part of the plan.

* * *

TBC: The Ukyou and Mousse team up part 2

AN: Well, I tried to come up with a good enough explanation for what Shampoo has to do in order to become an Amazon again, basically either defeat Ranma, in Amazon langue, that would be kill him. Or take some test of Mind Body and Spirit.

I hope the chapter doesn't stink too much, if it does, say so and I'll look into fixing what stink and make it better, promise. Also, I tried to see if I could write the way Ranma speaks, and I'm not sure it worked, so tell if it does. If not, I'll drop it in the next chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

Sign  
(Thoughts)  
SOUNDS   
+ Flashback +  
Chinese 

* * *

**Unlikely Couple  
--  
The Ukyou and Mousse team up part 2**

* * *

Walking down the street, Ranma grumbled darkly as he cast a look over his shoulder. Part of him wanted to go back and demand some answers, another part of him, the one who was always losing against him were telling him to stay out of this mess.

But sadly, it wasn't in his nature to stay out. Something was up, and he was going to find out about it. There was no way that Ranma Saotome would be caught off guard by something like this. No way.

Turing and heading back towards the restaurant to demand some better answers, Ranma narrowed his eyes as the faint feeling of having someone spy on him made itself know, the feeling growing as each step brought him closer to the Neko Haten. "So, ya think it's fun to spy on me huh!"

Snapping around as he spoke, Ranma's fist was already moving to strike whoever it was, after all, living with so many rivals and random attackers out to get him on a weekly basis had taught him not to hesitate. "Ucchan?" Stopping his fist less then a centimeter from her face, Ranma turned bright red as he moved backwards a little to avoid any retaliation she might make. "Look, I'm sorry, it's just, I'm a bit tense today."

Turning halfway around to stare at the area around him, Ranma quickly looked up at the rooftops as several rapid footsteps were heard. But unlike what he had expected, they were moving away from him with each passing second. "What is going on around here?"

Staring at Ranma as he mumbled out a comment to himself, Ukyou quickly coughed as she reached out and grabbed his shoulder, turning him back around to face her completely. "Look Ran-chan, I need your help okay, Mousse told me of this plan of his, and well, I'm not sure I can go through with it."

Giving her his full attention at those words, Ranma knew that he shouldn't have left the Neko Haten. Shampoo and Ryouga were in trouble. But it was Mousse, if anyone besides him could be able to handle the blind duck, Ryouga could. "Come on Ucchan, this is Mousse, what's he going to able to do, Ryouga can handle him. Besides, if you don't want to be part of the plan, then don't."

Looking down in shame, Ukyou removed her hands as she sighed. "Ran-chan. He wants to go after Akane to lure you away, he got some surefire way to get rid of Ryouga and claim Shampoo as his own."

Freezing at the words, Ranma clenched up as his hands as he rushed past Ukyou, not even waiting to hear what else she might have to say about it.

Instead, all he could think off was getting to Akane before she got messed up by all of this. "Stupid duck, if he's after Shampoo, why do something to Akane." But even as he spat out the comment, he could guess it already, Mousse had known he would go back to the restaurant, he needed him out of the way. "Ryouga, you better be ready for this, something tells me Mousse not playing around anymore."

Left behind, Ukyou felt like kicking herself as she saw Ranma run off, her heart clenching up as the thought that he might care more for Akane then for him rushed through her, only to get crushed as once again she reminded herself that is was only because of his engagement to the Tendo girl, when she was out of the way, he'd turn to her as the one he truly loved.

"Not bad Ukyou, not to bad at all." Mousse commented as he landed on the street next to her. His eyes hidden behind his glasses as he kept a dark look at the direction that Ranma had run off in. "You'll be glad to know I have made sure Ranma won't find Akane right away."

Turning her own glare towards him, the long haired girl slowly reached down a hand towards her main spatula. "You better not have hurt Akane, got it." Turning to face the restaurant, Ukyou cracked her knuckles as she glared down the street towards the Neko Haten. "Well, let's get it over with okay."

Grinning, mousse turned to face the restaurant as well. "Yes, let's get it over with."

* * *

Glaring death at a nearby tree, Ryouga grumbled as he couldn't help but think of what the old crone had said about him and Ranma. How could he be in worse physical shape then that pigtailed jerk?

So he wasn't as fast as him, but he liked to see Ranma run around with the same amount of weight as he could. Hell, he was stronger then Ranma, the only reason he lost was because he was too damn fast. If only he'd stand still for once and take his punches like a man, then it would be a fair fight.

"Breaking Point!"

Smirking as he watched the tree stagger forward, then explode into a shower of toothpick sized parts, Ryouga grinned as he wondered how long it would be before he could use this new part of his technique to catch Ranma of guard.

"You idiot! Look at what you did to this place" Smashing into the floor with aloud crash, Ryouga groaned as he felt someone land on his back, their eyes glaring at him as he sat back up, or would have if someone hadn't planted a staff right in front of is eyes. "Well Boy, seems you improve on that technique after all, though I suggest you stop before you have to start blowing up living tings of a more messy composition."

Pushing the staff away, Ryouga grumbled even more darkly as he settled back into the chair, eyes the remains of the tree lying on the table top before him. "Why do you care about it anyway, I trained until I could use like this, I've no intention of going any further with it. Besides, I've already learned an attack that works on humans."

Pulling out her pipe as she settle din on the table, Cologne gave Ryouga a very overall look once more. "So, you think you can beat Ranma with it?"

Smirking as he stared back at her, Ryouga thought back on what he had learned, and how he had learned it. "Yes, I know I can win with it, all I needed was to challenge Ranma and test it on him." Thinking back on it, he still had the challenge letter somewhere, he had after all been looking for a place to mail it when he had found Shampoo in that alley. "Still, I haven't perfected it yet, but I am planning on it one of these days."

Standing up, Ryouga stretched as he gazed out the window and froze, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the smirking face of Mousse just outside the window, Ukyou standing next to him with an unreadable expression on her face. "When did he?"

Next to him, Cologne eyes showed nothing but contempt and anger as she saw Mousse moved his face over to face her, his eyes still closed as he did a small nod in greeting. "Ryouga, I feel this is it, the last chance we have to deal with this."

Cracking his knuckles in reply, Ryouga was far to busy thinking of the revenge he would get out of this, Mousse would pay for planting those knives in him, not to mention his sick desire to kill Shampoo simply because she had rejected him. "It ends now alright, one way or another."

Stepping forward as he spoke to himself more then to Cologne, he froze as a softer and bigger hand then the old Amazon's grabbed his shoulder. A faint smell of freshly added perfume and the lingering smell of the wilderness not yet washed out had him smile a bit as he felt himself calm down. "Shampoo, thank you, but this is between him and me."

Shaking her head in a negative manner as she stepped up to stand next to him, the purple haired girl glared out through the window and into those cold eyes glaring back at her. "No Ryouga, this between Shampoo and Mousse too."

Turning to fire off some kind of argument, Ryouga stopped as he spotted her wearing her battle outfit, richly decorated leather armor and wrist brands fitting in tightly over the lose, yet form fitting silk clothes. "Sha... Shampoo." Shaking his head to clear it, Ryouga refocused on the half blind martial artist just outside the restaurant. "Fine, it seems Ukyou has decided to get involved, so it might be a two on two fight."

Following the purple haired girl as she walked out through the door, the lost boy turned his head as a blast of cold air hit him along with a light chuckle that he had only heard once before. "Why are you here Ukyou? Don't you know what he has done?"

Pulling off her spatula, Ukyou just stared back as she let out one of her famously, cold smiles, the one that meant business. "He didn't tell me much Sugar, other then he has a way of making it easier for me to get Ran-chan." Her words spoken without much warmth as she slipped into a battle stance, Ukyou grinned at him. "And as you know sugar, all is fair in love and war."

Her last comment followed by the sudden flick of her wrists, several small objects getting launched at him and Shampoo by the brown haired girl. "So just get out of the way Ryouga." The last comment added in as two knives sliced through the objects, each one shredding and letting out a cloud of flour.

* * *

Jumping across the rooftops, Ranma cursed under his breath as the tendon dojo and house came into view, the rather large compound seeming to be as serene and quiet as a distant mountain.

Clearing the wall around the place easily, Ranma tensed as he landed on the ground, eyes turning around rapidly to pick up any sigh of a treat. "Pops, Mr. Tendo!" Calling out as he rushed towards the backyards entrance into the house, he stopped as the two elder people stepped out with questioning looks on their faces. "Pops, did Mousse get her already, is Akane safe?"

Facing Ranma with a puzzled look, the large man turned to regard Soun with a confused expression before turning back to face Ranma as the other two members of the Tendo family stepped out. "Ranma, Akane just left five minutes ago, said she was going to the Neko Haten to look for you."

Giving a harsh glare at Ranma, Soun quickly grabbed the pigtailed boy's shoulders. "Boy, what did you mean, is that Chinese boy after my daughter again?"

Pulling free of the grip, Ranma stopped as he turned back to face the direction he had just come from. "Ukyou, no, she couldn't." Rushing off, Ranma jumped over the wall again, his face setting into a stone mask as he landed on the ground and took of running again. 'She must have lied to me, but why, and why do I think it has something to with Ryouga.'

* * *

Coughing loudly as he moved backwards, Ryouga quickly moved to the side as a massive shadow descended on him, eyes darting to the side as he refocused on Mousse breaking out through the cloud, a thick chain running from his right sleeve to were it was attached to the wrecking ball he had tossed at the lost boy.

Next to him, Shampoo had jumped backwards to avoid a series of spatulas hurled at the ground, one of her bon boris sporting a large cut in it from deflecting a least one of them. "Ukyou, this has nothing to do with you, so just stay out of it." Letting out the comment, Ryouga backed up and slashed out in a wide arc with his trusted umbrella.

Just smirking as she rushed out from the cloud as well, the long haired girl merely shrugged as she jumped over him and Shampoo easily. "Sorry sugar, but this is one thing I got to do." Kicking in the door of the Neko Haten, she grinned as she could see the vial containing the way to win Ran-chan just lying there on the counter before her. "This is too easy."

Then she let out a curse as a purple haired blur impacted her from behind, sending the two of them crashing in through the door and out of the major combat zone.

Ignoring the concern he felt for Shampoo in order to face his own opponent, Ryouga turned back to face Mousse as the Chinese boy glared back at him. "You, for everything you done Mousse, hurting Shampoo, hurting me, I'm going to make you pay!" Rushing forward, as he yelled out, the lost boy lashed out and cursed as Mousse avoided his attack with ease.

The half blind boy grinned as a chain wrapped around Ryouga and allowed him to pull the boy downwards. "You should have stayed out of it Ryouga, then you might have had a chance." Shooting forward with three knives in his hand, Mousse grin faded as he saw the smirk on Ryouga's face. "What?"

"Breaking Point!" The ground ripping out a cloud of dust and fragments that belted him head on, followed quickly by a slack in the chair that flew back at him.

Turning around and sending out a series of bandannas to clear some space around him, Ryouga grimace as he heard a lamp post and a car get shredded, but no sound from the Chinese boy. "Where are you?"

"Hawk's Talons!"

Moving around, Ryouga hissed as burning sensation arose from his left arm as the sound of fabric tearing reached him, the whole thing accompanied by Mousse laughter as he jumped backwards, razor sharp needle blades getting pulled back into his shoe. "How can you ever hope to protect Shampoo, in fact, how did you ever manage to beat me in the past?"

Baring his teeth as he ignored the pain, Ryouga simply grinned as he began to pull in on his strength, eyes narrowing as he jabbed the ground with his right hand. "Breaking Point!" The explosion of shattered pavement shooting out to cover him as he concentrated on pulling in on that power, feeling t form between his hands. "Mousse, this ends now!"

"How true!" Came the reply as Mousse shot out through the rock fragments, saw blade like sword held up over his head, the light of madness glinting behind his glasses as the sword descended on him.

Moving backwards into a half crouch as he saw the attack, Ryouga flung out his arms and hope against hope that his new attack wouldn't fail, that it worked like he expected it too. "Roaring Lions Blast!" The sphere of power held in his hands firing off with a sensation of draining.

As for Mousse, it felt like getting kicked by a mule, his whole lower body protesting the attack as he was thrown backwards to impact a still standing lamppost with a hard crack. "So, you have a new attack?" Grinning as he pulled himself up, mousse glared at him as he pulled out two handfuls of knives to replace the lost sword. "It won't help you Hibiki, this time Shampoo will be mine!"

Tossing the knives forward, he grunted as that blasted Umbrella intercepted them, each one sinking into the water proof clothing and getting stuck there. "Bastard!" Rushing forward for one massive attack, he grinned as his next trump shot out of his sleeves. "Eagles droppings!"

The odd phrase making the lost boy look in time to see at least four small sized bombs flying towards him. "Shit!" The word getting spat out as he moved back to gain some distance, a move that sadly left his umbrella to get blown up. "Damn it Mousse, that was my favorite!"

Ripping off another handful of Bandanna's as he took off Running forward again, Ryouga grunted as he let them lose, the cloth projectiles buzzing forward in a strange circular pattern, each one forcing Mousse to jump backwards, and finally into taking off into the air by using the lamppost as a springboard. "Roaring lions Bullet!"

The Chi attack shooting out as Ryouga ducked to avoid a small rain of knives, one cutting a small trace on his right shoulder as he crashed the neighboring shop's outer wall. Turning around, he froze for a second as he spotted Mousse once more approaching from above, this time with a spear in his hands.

He had only one thing let to use as a defense, he couldn't fire off another chi attack in time, he had to do it. No matter how much he hated to use it after what had happened the last time.

Ripping off his belt, he snapped it out in a arc as he willed it to become as tough as a slap of stone, the tip of it hitting Mousse's spear just in time to deflect it, but not the follow up kick that sent him flying. "Hibiki, prepare to Die!"

Anger rushing through him while he landed on his feet, Ryouga dug his fingers into the heavy, concrete object before him, his eyes nearly flashing as he faced the half blind boy. "Just shut up Mousse!" His words spat out as grabbed the lamppost he had destroyed earlier, eyes blazing with anger as he pulled it up. "And the only who's going to die, is you!"

Backpedaling to avoid the massive projectile as Ryouga hurled it at him, Mousse grunted as he was met with a punch right in the face, his body crashing into the ground as another form landed before him. "Shampoo?" The girl in question turned to glare at him as she deflected a kick from Ukyou with ease.

Facing his partner, and rather rudely ignoring the disheveled appearance of her, he snarled as he turned to see Shampoo moved towards Ryouga. "Ukyou, use the powder damn it, use it!" Snapping out a hand to point at his purple haired angel while standing up.

Grinning as she turned around while standing next to Ryouga, Shampoo lifted up a small vial and held it teaseling in front of her as she watched Mousse grit his teeth in anger. "You no get this Mousse, Shampoo rather die before she has anything to do with you ever again."

Tossing the vial forward, she smirked as she hurled off her Bon Bori at the same as Ryouga tossed off several bandannas to aid her. "You lose Mousse." Her comment hitting the blind haired boy as he blocked his face with his arms, having desperately attempted to reach the vial the second it had been tossed.

Then he felt a heavy impacted as Shampoo's weapon hit him, a hissed out angry curse making him grin as he saw Ukyou cradle a badly damaged vial in her hands, a minor cut on her cheek letting a drop of blood run down her face.

Tearing it form her as he jumped back up, the male Amazon turned to face his beloved and that stupid pig boy as it was his turn to dangle the vial in front of him in a teasing manner. The top half of it shattered and only a small drop of powder left in it, it was enough to make him far more confident then before the fight had started. "Hmm, I still win Shampoo, I have enough here to make you love me!"

Rushing forward he blinked as he impacted an unexpected obstacle, the vial's contents getting dumped out even as a punch hit him in the face in retaliation. "Shampoo!" Yelling out in surprise over the hit, he coughed as he got a face full of powder thanks to a sudden gust of wind. "No!"

"What do you think you're doing Mousse!" The angry words freezing the battle as Akane glared at each of them, a broken vial on the ground before her, along with a completely puzzled Mousse who was trying to grab the broken vial form where it had landed. "Honestly, is anyone going to tell me what's going around here? I came down here to tell you something, and this jerk jumps me as soon as I turn the corner."

Pulling out a spare set of glasses, Mousse glared up as her while holding the remains of the now completely broken vial. "What happened, Akane Tendo, is that you… that you?" Staring at the tomboyish girl before him, Mousse dropped the vial as the specially made love powder kicked in, easily destroying whatever he had ever felt for Shampoo, as the short haired, angry girl became the new focus of his life, the only reason for him to live. "Akane Tendo, I love you!"

And at that point in time, Ranma arrived on the scene as well, eyes locking onto Mousse as he yelled out the confession and hugged the poor girl caught of guard. "Mousse!" Resulting in the now very pissed off pigtailed boy ripping the half blind boy away from his Fiancee. "You're dead!"

And off to the side, Ukyou simply glared at the whole mess as once again, a plan had come apart. Thankfully it wasn't her plan, and she could easily work her way out of it. Still, defeat, even one from something this stupid didn't leave her feeling very happy.

Still, it wasn't all in vain though. If Mousse loved Akane now, she had another one to hitch Akane onto. All it would take was some planning, but first, she had to get out of there and think of an excuse to use on Ranma to get off the hook about lying to him.

"Good Grief." Cologne's voice cut through everything as she jumped out of the store, one hand holding onto her staff while she gazed over at Ranma and Mousse slugging it out. "You kids really know how to make a mess don't you?"

TBC: Aftermath.

An Finally, I move off from the Mousse is insane part, and it should all be wrapped up next as two old friends of Shampoo return with news from the Amazon Village of an upcoming trail to re instate her as an Amazon warrior. Ryouga meanwhile face off on the issue of how to let Shampoo know of his feelings.

As for the Roaring Lion blast "ShiShi Houkoudan." Someone one asked me in a review when in the manga this story was placed, well, I've finally decided and planted it the part where Ryouga would have issues a challenge against Ranma in order to test the attack against him.

And on a final note, part of this chapter makes me question what I was thinking. It seems rather rushed to me, and somewhat lacking. Must be because I haven't written a fighting scene with the Ranma 1/2 characters for so long.

Demino.


	13. Chapter 13

Sign  
(Thoughts)  
SOUNDS   
+ Flashback +  
Chinese 

* * *

Unlikely Couple  
--  
Aftermath

* * *

As they tended to do with time, things soon quieted down well enough for her to assume some kind of control of the mess. And not a moment to soon in her well versed opinion. "Good, he's out cold, now to give him the cure."

Turning to face Ryouga and Shampoo, she cracked a small eyebrow at the sight of her great granddaughter staring at Ryouga with a confused, lightly emotionally troubled stare while the lost boy was busy drilling a hole through Mousse with a hateful glare.

Clearly, things were not really settled with him yet, something that would need her attention later. It just wouldn't do to have too much of a grudge between him and Mousse, it wouldn't do in the long run. Shan Pu, bring him inside, and then bring me the hot water from the kitchen, I'll need it. And you two put him that table 

Moving into the restaurant when the last order had been given, she finally allowed a small grin to fill her face. The mere thought of Mousse, cursing himself to become hopelessly in love with the Tendo girl was priceless. Truly the mighty and careless ones did bring about their own defeat in time.

Normally she would have been dancing on the inside for having such a golden opportunity handed to her, for once, it would have mean that she had a reliable subject to dump the Tendo girl on, thus freeing up Ranma to love Shampoo.

But now that shampoo was an outcast, she wasn't bound to marry Ranma anymore, so in a sense this new development was useless. Unless she decided to once again try and do what she had failed in, namely claim the young boy as her husband.

If such a thing happened, she was certain that this new Mousse would be most useful, now however, he was a burden, an unwanted problems he had to deal with before things got even more out of hand.

Another thing had troubled her; the ease with which Ryouga had used the ShiShi Houkoudan was troubling at best. She would have a real chat with him about it, if he really had a thing for Shampoo, he would do best to learn the downside of emotion charged chi attacks.

"Put Mousse in that chair will you?" Pointing at one while pulling out a good, sturdy chain, she grinned as she quickly wrapped up the blind boy, ignoring the protests from the young Tendo, and the rude comment from Ranma. "Patience children, all will be explained in due time, Shampoo, is that water ready yet?"

Getting a faint reply from the kitchen, the elder Amazon jumped up on the table, planting her staff off to one side while pulling out a mixture of herbs, planting the small pile before her. "Now boy, look at me?" Turning Mousse's head around to face her, she smiled as she held up a hand in front of her. "You're really lucky you know that, if you had gotten just a bit more of that passion potion into you, you'd have been a lost cause."

"Taking such a huge dose, when only a handful of powder would have been enough to inflame a whole village." Chuckling lightly as she accepted the kettle of hot water that Shampoo emerged with, she stared at him. "Now, this will hurt you Mousse, in more then one way."

Mixing the herbs into the kettle, she stirred it slowly with a finger, muttering something about having to always clean up such messes. "There, now, drink this, all of it." Holding out the kettle, she nodded briefly at Shampoo while grabbing her staff. "And do it now."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ryouga found himself alone at last, a thing he had somewhat missed. And while it was a good chance to make his escape at last, leaving Shampoo and the whole mess behind, it seemed somewhat useless right now. He was knee-deep in the trouble weather he wanted to or not, and running away wasn't his style.

He wasn't like Ranma.

Drumming one finger uselessly on the kitchen table, he stared at anything he could think off, hoping to find some deep answer to his problem by some miracle. Still, one thing he really did learn form this, was the same thing he had always known.

"I hate my life." And boy did he ever, he wasn't sure he would even curse the likes of Ranma to live the kind of life he did. Always wondering if the next corner he turned would lead to someplace he knew, or if he'd once again find himself utterly lost.

Lost, like he wasn't always lost, in both the real world, and his chance to claim the ones he loved. If finding a way to prove his love for Akane had been difficult, how did one go about doing it to a girl that hated you?

Shampoo, she had never really been nice to him, the most of his memories about her was nothing short of insulting, with her mocking him with nicknames, poking at his directional sense. Yet, she had been so different lately, he had seen what most have captured Mousse's love.

She was caring, wild spirited and free, just like him she was powerful and could fight, a graceful powerhouse that would never take no for an answer. So much like him, yet so different he felt stupid for even thinking of comparing himself to her.

And he loved her, the very place that only Akane could ever have hope to receive, was now only for the purple haired Chinese girl to have.

"As if she'd ever want me." Muttering out the comment as he leaned back against the wall, he didn't even blink or turn to greet the girl who walked in though the door, something that in the past would have meant days of silently berating himself for making such a mistake.

As for the girl, Akane found herself staring at him. Her mind still busy trying to figure out what it was that was going on, Ranma, Shampoo nor Cologne had answered any of her questions claiming thy were busy dealing with Mousse.

Which left only one person left to ask, if he could stay cohort long enough to utter some kind of response to her inquiries about the matter.

"Say Ryouga?" Waiting patiently fro a response, she frowned as nothing came, not even a nervous blush or a muttered out greeting. "Ryouga?" Stepping closer, she waved her hand up and down, hoping that this wasn't going to end with yet another one throwing himself at her, proclaiming his undying love.

And completely unforbidden, a memory arose of that time in the carnival, when she had nearly ended up getting crushed to death by an overeager Ryouga thinking she was in love with him.

"Ryouga!" Banishing the thought, she raised her voice a bit while stepping right into his field of vision, eyes lightly narrowed as her patience were running low. "Hey, you mind paying attention to me?"

Shaking his head and sighing as he focused on her, Ryouga briefly expected himself to break down like he usually did when he was near her. But instead of that, he found himself regarding her much like he would be regarding Ukyou whenever she had some kind of plan. "Sorry, I was thinking."

Pushing off from the wall, he smiled as well as he could, noting that the shorthaired girl was cooling off. "So, what is it that you wanted Akane?"

Frowning lightly at the lack of emotion when he spoke to her, Akane once again wished that she knew just what had been going on between him and the Amazons, or at least that she had some more clues about it. "Ryouga, do you know what's been going on?"

Opening his mouth to respond, Ryouga blinked, as the whole building seemed to shake as a loud, painful scream echoed out from below.

When it stopped, Ryouga closed his eyes and drew partly into himself. "It's a long story, a very long one." The phase leaving him in a faint muttering as he thought back once more on all that had happened lately. "I guess it all started when I returned from my latest training trip."

* * *

"So, he's okay now?" Ranma questioned as he gazed closely at a still fuming around the mouth Mousse, the half blind boy had looked better even after getting beaten up. "All that hot for Akane stuffs been dealt with too?" Turning around, he ignored the sight of Shampoo dragging Mousse out much like one would drag out a carpet.

Giving the pigtailed boy a skeptic glance, Cologne let out a small bark of laughter as she jumped up over him, landing on the table and lifting up her pipe. "Sorry Ranma, but it's not that easy, besides, the current situation is very beneficial to me."

Letting out a puff of smoke, she grinned as she regarded Ranma from the corner of her eyes. "Soon, Shampoo will be taking the trial to reclaim her Amazon hood, and when that happens." Letting a very feline smirk at the confused expression hitting her, she chuckles mentally. "Shampoo will be able to chose to have another shot at getting you to accept her as your wife, or she can challenge the one who's conquering her heart. But in short, she will be free of all previous requirements of the tribal laws"

Feeling a bit of a bruise on his ego at the thought of Shampoo losing interest in him, Ranma leaned in closer and gazed hard at the old woman before him. "And who do you think would do that, Mousse, Pigboy, or even Kuno." Smirking as she stood back in his full height, Ranma flicked his pigtail back proudly.

Chuckling more loudly, Cologne removed her pipe and glance up at the boy before her, a small amount of humor twinkling in her eyes at the thought of much fun that boy could provide. "Really Ranma, you know there is more then one way to win an Amazons love, and while you did beat her and earned the kiss of marriage."

Letting a dramatic silence fill the air, she grinned as she the full attention of the pigtailed boy was on her now. "The law became void to my great granddaughter the moment she lost her position as a warrior of the Chinese Amazon tribe, and as such, she is free to be pursued by others, as well as pursue someone on her own."

Staring after her as she left, Ranma left out a small huff as he stood up. "Great, so Shampoo's off my back with her stupid marriage law." Glancing at the doorway leading out into the main part, Ranma frowned as he thought about it. "Who cares if Ryouga and Shampoo ends up together."

"Sounds like you do." Came the rather indirect response from behind him, the very feeling of the voice making him cringe, as he just knew he would either be forced into some kind of scheme, or blackmailed for something. "Relax Ranma, I'm not going to blackmail you, I just came to see if the rumors I heard were true."

Turning around to face a smirking Nabiki, Ranma couldn't help but frown as he saw the tell tale self-satisfied smirk on the middle Tendo daughters face. "What rumors?"

Ignoring the rather frosty reply to her small comments, Nabiki glanced around the room with a small amount of interest, her eyes half closing as she finally shrugged. "Just someone saying that Shampoo had dumped you for Ryouga."

Feeling another bruise on his ego, Ranma clenched up his hands as he turned rather quickly to face the smirking girl. "She did not dump me okay, all I know is that she got kicked out of her tribe, and now she's hanging around Ryouga." Spitting out the last part, Ranma began to walk towards the door. "Why I don't know, only an idiot would like a guy who can't even find the bathroom on his own"

"Saotome!"

Turning to face the doorway, Ranma blinked as he found Mousse standing in it, a large sword held in one hand while a powerful battle aura blaze up around him. "You dare try to defile Akane by cheating on her with Shampoo?" Not even waiting for an answer from the pigtailed boy, the half blind martial artists struck out, cutting the second potted tree in the building in half. "I won't allow it!"

Kicking out and hitting the blind boy in the side, Ranma glared as he found himself facing the Amazon boy who had dropped his sword to favor a wider range of weapons, ranging from a yoyo to a small fishhook. "What are you rambling about, you're the one who got the hots for Shampoo, so go kick Ryouga's butt not mine, he the she likes, not me."

Chuckling evilly as he stalked closer, Mousse slipped into a battle stance. "Who could even care about Shampoo when seeing the radiant beauty of Akane?" Smirking, as he looked closer at Ranma, Mousse allowed a dark smirk to fill his face. "Then again, if what I heard is right, you should go after Shampoo, and leave Akane to someone who really does love her."

"You!" Descending on Mousse with a rather nasty tone of voice, Ranma lashed out while ducking the various weapons getting thrown at him.

And behind them, Nabiki chuckled as she watched it with keen interest. As usual, the sheer presence of Ranma seemed to bring about even more chaos to this highly amusing and very profitable situation.

When Ranma was done doing his thing to Mousse, she had a small business transaction to deal with him. Her left hand fingering the fresh set of photos she had just developed this day. Kuno had gotten his stash of it and while she had planned on making him get the rest later for a higher prize, she would be able to earn even more if she sold both pictures to him and to the half blind Amazon.

* * *

As soon as Ryouga ended his story, Akane nodded more for herself then for his sake, as she wasn't sure she had gotten most of the details, but it had made a lot of sense. "I see, so you and Shampoo aren't really together, it's a honor kind of thing."

Grinning somewhat emotionless at the comment, Ryouga pushed himself off the wall he had begun to lean on somewhere in his recapping. "So, you're not, mad?" His question, while innocent did give off the full feeling of having more then just a simple need for a yes or no.

And while she didn't really understand why he would a question like that, the short haired tendo daughter couldn't help but once more wonder just what was the reason for Ryouga to act like that around her. "Why would I be mad, you were just helping her out, it's what friends do. In fact, I think t was sweet of you to do so."

Smiling as cutely as she could, Akane failed to see the rather depressed emotion filling Ryouga's eyes for a few seconds. "Um, I think I'd better get going again." He should have expected it, but it still hurt that she had basically failed to see the true meaning to his question. "I'll see you later Ryouga."

Watching her as she left, Ryouga sighed as he leaned back against the wall. Things were really not going the way he had expected them too. Akane were acting like normal, and as she had done every time he had tried to figure out what she felt in a subtle way, had failed to see just what he had really meant with his question.

But he still hadn't come any closer to why he had sought the peace and quiet of this room to begin with. The lack of depression form Akane's reaction to his question hadn't been as shattering as it would have been a month ago, mostly, it just felt like a friend had ended up hurting him without intending to.

As for Shampoo, he would never be able to ask her question like that. He had learned from what had happened around Akane, his heart of glass wouldn't just handle a rejecting form the Chinese girl like it normally did, not at this point in time anyway.

"Why?" Asking the same question for what felt like the millionth time to himself, Ryouga found no answer. Other then the knowledge that this time around it wasn't just as simple, pounding Ranma into the ground wouldn't just solve it.

Shampoo was different, she loved Ranma, hell even he had seen it. And it hurt to know that, it was bad enough that Ranma had always been the first on Akane's mind, how was he compete against him when the girl had done anything but yell out that she loved that pigtailed jerk once a day.

Standing up to leave as well as he found himself getting depressed just by thinking, Ryouga froze as he spotted Shampoo standing in the doorway, a nervous expression on her face as she gazed at him. "Shampoo here to get Ryouga, great grandmother wants us to meet down in the restaurant." Not waiting for a response from Ryouga, she reached out and grabbed his hand. "She tell Shampoo to lead you there, so meeting no be late."

Blushing somewhat heavily at the feeling of her hand around his wrist, Ryouga began to beat down the same thoughts he had suffered from recently as he found himself enjoying the contact.

Not doing much better herself, Shampoo did at least have more training in dealing with her emotions and as such, didn't show much difference not that she were beginning to admit the lost boy were having some effect on her, but it wouldn't work, she had to become and Amazon, and then refocus on reclaiming the honor she had lost.

* * *

Sitting calmly at the table, Cologne enjoyed the rare peace and quiet, the feelings gained from everything cooling down after a messy ordeal always left her smiling. "So, Ranma, you and Mousse are getting along nicely." Her commenting full of the humor she found in the new rivalry between the half blind Amazon and the pigtailed boy.

And when she said it all worked out for her, she wasn't kidding. If Shampoo decided to go after Ranma, she wouldn't have Mousse to worry about anymore, and she had anew card to play against the young Tendo daughter. Not to mention the fact that while Ryouga would be heart broken, he would more then likely end up pinning for Akane as well.

All in all, this whole ordeal had left her with a better hand then ever.

Looking up, as her inner thoughts were broken, she smiled as Ryouga and Shampoo entered the room, the lost boy not doing a very good job of hiding his emotions for her great granddaughter. "Ah, Ryouga, sit down, sit down." Pointing at the chair, she grinned as she watched Shampoo take the place she had expected, right between Ranma and Ryouga.

But that kind of small details about her great granddaughter's current emotions were for later, now was the time to outlay what should happen from now on. "Shampoo, I have finished the last arrangements for your trial." Sending out a puff of smoke as she lit her pipe, she watched her young charge for any sign of change in her. "They have agreed to let you undergo the mind, body and spirit trial."

Sitting up a bit stiffly at the words, Shampoo felt her face light up with a big smile. She were going to reclaim her honor at last, no longer would she just be a dishonored outcast, she would prove herself to be an Amazon among Amazons. "When Shampoo take trial?"

Letting silence fill the room, Cologne watched her with a calm expression. "Two weeks from now child." Her eyes halfway closing as she gazed around the room. "And as I have already told Ryouga, outsiders are not allowed to watch the trial, but I doubt we'll be able to keep you from traveling with us."

Smirking at each of the teens around the table, she allowed her little speech to sink in before she continued. "As such I figured I might as well invite you along, rather then have you show up on your own."

TBC: Back To China.

AN: I'm getting closer to an ending. First I'll deal with getting to China and the Amazon village, then I'll begin the final story arc, the trial. After that, there'll be a bit about Ryouga and Shampoo dealing with their new emotions.

Other then that, there were a lot of minor problems with this chapter, I feel that I failed to show Ryouga trying to figure out how to tell Shampoo that he cares for her, but I thought it would be more wise to get Akane and Ranma in on the current events, even if they don't have anything to do with them.

I'm thinking of a few things that could happen while they are in China, but I'm not sure if I should add it to the story.


End file.
